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Dear Colleague,
Welcome to NCC News. This online newsletter was created to keep you up-to-date on all things chlamydia, and related areas of interest. We hope you will find it useful and informative. Please feel free to share this with your colleagues who may also find it of use.
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Study Finds Problems with Adolescents Receiving Preventive Care
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 In a new study commissioned by Partnership for Prevention, authors expose the lack of attention paid to clinical preventive services (CPS) for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. The review article, published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, finds that there are very few clinical preventive services for this age group with sufficient evidence of effectiveness, and those that are recommended are extremely underutilized.
The study reviewed 28 counseling services and 31 screening services recommended by at least one of five national groups that issue comprehensive preventive care recommendations for teens. Only seven non-immunization services were given A or B recommendations from the USPSTF, which included cervical cancer (Pap test), Chlamydia (girls), depression, tobacco, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. Of the seven effective recommended services, five involve sexual health, including STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and cervical cancer (Pap test).
Of this limited set of services, only Chlamydia screening and Pap tests are recommended for all sexually active young women and also have been judged to be high value, according to the National Commission on Prevention Priorities. However, even among STI screening services for which there is good evidence, too little attention is paid to improving delivery of these services by addressing problems unique to adolescents. Teh article is available for free at www.ajpm-online.net, and is accredited for CME credits. |
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Facebook Application Aims to Prevent HPV
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Partnership for Prevention is happy to announce the launch of Fact Check: HPV, a novel Facebook application developed in collaboration with the University of Maryland's College of Information Studies, to help educate and motivate young women to prevent HPV. The interactive quiz, which was funded through a generous grant from the Fund to Prevent Cervical Cancer, not only helps people learn about the common STD and the importance of vaccination and screening, but also allows users to pass on the information anonymously, if they choose, to their peers.
Check out the quiz at www.hpvfactcheck.org and help us spread the word about his new outreach tool.
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Series Examines Risk of Infertility Treatments |
The New York Times recently published a series of articles looking at concerns regarding infertility treatments and premature infants. Some physicians and other health professionals have become concerned with the high costs, prematurity risks and increased multiple births associated with procedures like in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination. However, according to the Times reports, this type of treatment leads to an increased number of twin births which raises the risk of premature birth, mental retardation, eye and ear impairments and learning disabilities. These complications are both highly dangerous to a child's health and costly to the health care system.
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FDA and ACIP Issue HPV Vaccination Recommendations:
Cervarix for Women, Gardasil for Men |
The FDA recently approved GlaxoSmithKline's human papillomavirus vaccine, Cervarix for girls between the ages of 10 through 25. Cervarix, like Merck's Gardasil, approved in 2006, is an effective preventive measure for cervical cancer. Both drugs protect against two strains of HPV that cause up to 70% of cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against two other strains of HPV that cause 90% of genital warts.
The FDA also announced that it is now safe to administer the Gardasil vaccine to boys to combat male genital warts. This could be beneficial to women, as it could prevent the spread of the virus through sexual partners. Many believe that healthcare providers now face a challenge to get parents to vaccinate their boys. Merck weighed in and believes that vaccinating boys will not only be beneficial to partner health, but cost effective as well.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also reviewed both of these developments. The ACIP approved Cervarix and is working to adopt the new recommendation as a part of official advice to physicians. However, while the ACIP approved the use of Gardasil for boys, it is not recommending widespread promotion of the vaccination of boys. The committee is currently looking into the effectiveness of vaccinating boys.
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Public Comment Open on Healthy People 2020 Objectives |
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services invites you to comment on the DRAFT set of objectives for Healthy People 2020, a set of national 10-year health promotion and disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the health of all Americans. The document contains proposed national objectives for STDs, HIV, adolescent health, family planning, immunizations, infectious disease, and more. Comments will be accepted through December 31, 2009. |
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MMWR Report Compiles Data on Sexual and Reproductive Health |
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 CDC issued a report, "Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10-24 Years - United States, 2002-2007" in a July 2009 MMWR Surveillance Summary. The report compiles data from the vital registration system, as well as numerous surveys and surveillance systems into a single, summary compendium of sexual and reproductive health indicators. Topics covered inlcude teen pregnancy, STDs (chlamydia gonorrhea, syphillis, HPV), HIV/AIDS, sexual assault injuries, and racial and geographic disparities. For more information, please visit CDC's Healthy Youth! website. |
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SAM, AAP Issue Statement on EPT |
The Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a joint statement on Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT). EPT helps to interrupt transmission of chlamydia and gonorrhea and prevents reinfection after treatment. The statement recommends that providers use EPT as an option for STI care for adolescents who are not likely to otherwise receive treatment; and urges AAP and SAM chapters to work with policy makers to remove legal barriers, facilitate reimbursement and collaborate with health departments to implement this care for partners of diagnosed patients. The full statement appears in the Journal of Adolescent Medicine and on the websites of both organizations. |
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Shopping for Condoms?
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Consumer Reports reported their new lab tests on the reliability of 20 types of latex condoms. Models from Durex, Lifestyles and Trojan scored well for reliability, strength and lack of leakage in the condom or its packaging. Night Light's Glow in the Dark model fared poorly on tests for strength and leakage; other condoms were called a "fine choice" when used properly. The review can be found in Consumer Reports, December 2009, page 52.
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