ABSTRACT
Objective To determine whether screening and treating
women for chlamydial infection reduces the incidence of
pelvic inflammatory disease over the subsequent
12 months.
Design Randomised controlled trial.
Setting Common rooms, lecture theatres, and student
bars at universities and further education colleges in
London.
Participants 2529 sexually active female students, mean
age 21 years (range 16-27).
Intervention Participants completed a questionnaire and
provided self taken vaginal swabs, with follow-up after
one year. Samples were randomly allocated to immediate
testing and treatment for chlamydial infection, or storage
and analysis after a year (deferred screening controls)