It has been reported that only one in 10 young people are being tested for chlamydia, despite guidelines recommending it for all sexually active youth.
Sexual health researchers say Medicare data shows that only 8.1% of people aged 15-34 years were tested for chlamydia in 2010.
The authors of the study, The Kirby Institute, Sydney state that their surveillance data showed the prevalence of chlamydia infection increased significantly, by 28%, among NSW women in the decade to 2010 and also rose marginally in men.
The researchers said that strategies were needed to increase testing, to modify sexual risk behaviour and to improve monitoring.
The authors found that one indicator, the rate of hospital admissions for pelvic inflammatory disease had decreased from 291 to 333 cases between 2001 and 2010. They said the true number of chlamydia infections was unknown but likely higher than revealed by the notification data.
The latest figures from a general practice study, suggested a prevalence of 4.9% among women aged 16-25.
Based on this estimate it is likely that the true number of infections in 15-29 year olds in NSW in 2010 was closer to 73,000 rather than the 14,000 notifications, meaning that 59,000 infections in one year were not diagnosed and treated.
At all GCA abortion clinics, (Sydney, Newcastle, Gosford, Hurstville, Wollongong and Canberra) we routinely screen every patient for chlamydia.