Knowledge of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in genitourinary medicine clinic attenders

Objectives: To determine the level of awareness of genital chlamydial infec tion, and level of knowledge related to this infection, in genitourinary me dicine (GUM) clinic attenders. Methods: 500 consecutive patients attending a GUM clinic for the first time during a 3 month study period were invited to complete an anonymous self a dministered questionnaire on aspects of chlamydial infection. Results: 482 (96.4%) questionnaires were available for analysis (57% female ). 289 (60%) respondents had heard of Chlamydia trachomatis compared with 4 72 (98%) for thrush, 467 (97%) for HIV/AIDS, and 434 (90%) for gonorrhoea. Subjective knowledge of chlamydia, relative to the other infections, was po or. Overall, the mean chlamydial knowledge score was 0.38 (range 0.0-1.0). Females scored significantly higher than males (0.45 v 0.26; p<0.00001) and younger females scored significantly higher than older females (p=0.001). More females had experienced genital chlamydial infection than males (22.4% v 12.1%, p=0.004). Those with prior exposure to C trachomatis had higher m ean knowledge scores than those without (males 0.55 v 0.25, p<0.00001; fema les 0.68 v 0.37, p<0.00001). Conclusion: Even for a population considered as "high risk" by their attend ance at a GUM clinic, there was poor awareness of genital chlamydial infect ion, and mean knowledge scores were low. Whether increased knowledge was du e to successful health education at the time of diagnosis in those with pre vious infection remains to be determined. In the future, one would hope for increased knowledge scores in those at risk before the acquisition of infe ction, which may be achieved by national health education programmes for C trachomatis.