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The National Chlamydia Coalition is now on Facebook. To follow the NCC, simply visit our page and click the "like" button. Don't forget to share it with your friends and colleagues!

The National Chlamydia Coalition is pleased to announce the second brief in its new research brief series. Laboratory Considerations for Male Chlamydia Testing reviews the methods for laboratory diagnosis of chlamydia in men. Although there are no formal recommendations by professional organizations for male chlamydia screening, CDC does provide some guidance. Traditionally clinicians have collected urethral swabs; however, urine-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are now the preferred method.

The recently released CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report discusses and analyzes the health disparities and inequalities that currently exist in the US.  Key findings show that large disparities persist. Racial/ethnic minorities continue to experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection diagnoses.   

According to another recent study published in Pediatrics, disparities across race/ethnicity also exist in screening patterns for chlamydia. In fact, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to be screened than their white counterparts. Black young women are 2.7 times as likely as white women to be screened for chlamydia, and Hispanic women are 9.7 times as likely.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviews its recommended immunization schedule annually. This year, several changes were made to the schedule, including an update which reflects the expanded recommendation for annual flu vaccination for all persons aged six months and older. There are also changes to the tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) recommendations and clarifications for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. To review the schedule, click here. For a comprehensive summary of up-to-date immunization recommendations for children, teens, and adults, see the current issue of Needle Tips. 

The AAP News recently featured an article that outlines changes in the 2010 STD Treatment guidelines that are pertinent to clinicians who care for adolescents. The article also reviews the recommendations for STD prevention and screening of asymptomatic adolescents. To see the full set of 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines, click here.

Understanding the difference between condom sizes can be difficult, especially considering the array of options: large, extra large, XXL, magnum, etc. But knowing the differences between brands and names is important, as an ill-fitting condom may slip off or break, creating an increased risk for unintended pregnancy and STDs. A condom's "standard size" varies by manufacturer, and sizes do not necessarily differ based on name alone. Click here to read more about various condom sizes or here to view a more comprehensive condom size chart.