Online chlamydia testing: an innovative approach that appeals to young people

Marshall, Lewis J; Jachimowicz, Edwina A; Bastian, Lisa; Mak, Donna B

doi:10.5694/mja12.11450

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In reply: Azzopardi and colleagues seem to equate “young” with “adolescent”. We defined “young” as less than 30 years of age; 84% of chlamydia notifications in Western Australia occur in this age group,1 and they comprised 71% of online chlamydia testing program (OLC) users.2 This group accesses the internet frequently, with about 90% of Australians under 35 years of age using the internet at least once a week.3

1 Fremantle Hospital, Fremantle, WA.
2 Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health, Western Australia, Perth, WA.

Correspondence: donna.mak@health.wa.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Government of Western Australia Department of Health. The epidemiology of notifiable sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne viruses in Western Australia 2010. Perth: DoH, WA, 2011.
2. Kwan KS, Jachimowicz EA, Bastian L, et al. Online chlamydia testing: an innovative approach that appeals to young people. Med J Aust 2012; 197: 287-290. <MJA full text>
3. Australian Communications and Media Authority. Communications report 2009–10 series. Report 1 — Australia in the digital economy: the shift to the online environment. Melbourne, ACMA, 2010.

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