Chlamydia may be a simple bacterial infection, but chlamydia is one of the most potentially harmful STDs, especially for women. The infection often goes unnoticed and untreated due to its asymptomatic nature. If left untreated, it can lead to more serious consequences, especially infertility. A new study from the University of Michigan has found that screening rates for chlamydia among young women, namely 15-21 year olds, have dropped dramatically. This dramatic drop in testing is attributed to a change in national guidelines for PAP testing that occurred in 2009.
In 2009, the PAP testing guidelines were amended to no longer recommend annual PAP testing for young women under the age of 21 as research had shown this was not beneficial. Many doctors previously linked chlamydia screenings to annual PAP tests, but as the number of PAP tests decreased, they discovered that young women did not want to make separate appointments for chlamydia screening. As a result, these young women, whose infection may have been caught and treated as part of their annual PAP test, no longer receive that treatment.
For young women in the demographics where annual PAP testing is not recommended, it is especially important to schedule annual comprehensive STD screenings to ensure that potential asymptomatic infections cannot progress or cause further damage.