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Please send items you would like to have included in future issues of NCC News to: cjohnson@prevent.org. |
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Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the special research issue of NCC News. This issue will introduce the new research committee and highlight current research on chlamydia. |
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NCC Research Committee
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 The National Chlamydia Coalition is happy to announce that a fourth committee has been added to the coalition. The goal of the research committee is to synthesize, summarize and disseminate ongoing and published research for the use of NCC members in order to facilitate reducing the rates of chlamydia and its harmful effects among sexually active adolescents and young adults in the United States.
The committee's objectives are to:
- Generate and disseminate reviews of published research articles for NCC members.
- Synthesize ongoing research and "hot topics" related to chlamydia screening and programmatic interventions in a format useful for clinicians and NCC members.
- Guide NCC members to identify gaps in research that will influence chlamydia screening and practice.
The research committee is chaired by Charlotte Gaydos, Regional Director of the North American Region of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) and currently has 16 active members.
The committee will provide a summary of an important research study or finding in each issue of the newsletter in the "Research Update" section. They will also begin doing quarterly issue briefs on "hot topics" in chlamydia and related research. Suggestions for both the research article of the month and issue briefs are welcomed and encouraged. If you have an idea or topic you'd like the committee to consider, please email Charlotte at cgaydos@jhmi.edu. |
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CDC Science Clips
| | Each week, the CDC's Public Health Library releases Knowledge to Action Science Clips, an email service that highlights recent research on selected health topics. In recognition of the May 20th Public Health Grand Rounds session, the recent issue of Science Clips included abstracts from eight studies on chlamydia. |
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Research Update
(Research article of the month) | |
 Overcoming barriers to chlamydia screening in general practice: A qualitative study
Researchers in England conducted a qualitative study, published in Family Practice, to investigate the attitudes and behaviors of practice staff regarding chlamydia screening in general medical practices. 25 focus groups and 12 interviews were conducted with a diverse group with either high or low screening rates from 2005 to 2008. The study found that staff in the higher screening practices were more likely to believe in the individual and public health importance of screening. Many staff in the medium and low screening practices were uncomfortable offering screening outside of sexual health visits, and staff in all practices cited time constraints as a barrier. Findings suggest that practice staff need more evidence of the value of opportunistic chlamydia screening, strategies to increase comfort discussing sexual health, simpler screening request forms and easily accessible test kits to address the needs of time-pressed general practices. For a detailed summary of study findings, click here.
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CDC Public Health Grand Rounds Cover Chlamydia |
On May 20th, the National Chlamydia Coalition (NCC) was showcased as part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's monthly Public Health Grand Rounds series. The session, entitled " Chlamydia Prevention: Challenges and Strategies for Reducing Disease Burden," featured presentations from NCC members Dr. Gail Bolan, State STD Director for California, and Dr. Gale Burstein, a pediatrician representing the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine. The CDC's Dr. Sami Gottlieb discussed the magnitude of the problem and opportunities for prevention; Catherine Satterwhite covered prevention challenges and strategies to address them; and Dr. Raul Romaguera addressed health system issues, societal, and individual challenges. The session focused on current efforts to reduce the burden of chlamydia and its complications, as well as addressed the myriad social disparities and challenges that face those seeking to limit the reach of this serious public health problem. |
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Please Pass It On! |
We hope that you find the information in the NCC News valuable, and we count on you to share it with others--your organization's members, colleagues, affiliates, or co-workers--who may find it useful as well. You can forward the entire newsletter, encourage them to sign up to receive it in their inbox, or share individual articles of specific interest.
Unlike chlamydia, we hope you pass it on! |
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