Young women up to the age of 25 screen
themselves for chlamydial infection at least twice a year. Chlamydia
is a sexually transmitted disease, and is a major cause of infertility
in women among whom it does not display symptoms.
Almost 4000 sexually
active women between 12 and 60 were tested for chlamydia when they
attended clinics in Baltimore. The study found that nearly one in
three of the women under 25 were infected with chlamydia, compared
with fewer than one in 10 of the older age group.
Young women also
took half as much time to become infected, and time to reinfection
was only slightly more than seven months.
The researchers, who reported their findings in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections,
suggest that screening for the disease twice yearly would help catch reinfections.
Paralumun New Age Village