Young Australians Paid to Have STD Test

Australia has seen a decade-long rise in chlamydia, with approximately 63,000 documented new infections in 2009. Health experts looking to combat this rise have instituted a pilot program in one state to pay sexually active Australians, ages 16 to 30, $10 (US $10.14) to be tested for chlamydia at participating pharmacies; the stores also will receive $10 for each test performed.

"What we are trying to do is raise awareness, provide access to young people to testing, but also to show that chlamydia is something that anyone can get that is sexually active," said Dr. Rhian Parker, associate professor of the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute at the Australian National University.

Chlamydia infections, though usually easily resolved with antibiotics, can go unnoticed when they are asymptomatic. The long-term effects of untreated infection can be devastating. Two-thirds of tubal infertility cases and one-third of all ectopic pregnancies are attributed to the infection, according to Parker, who considers the $10 payment money well-spent. "Treating infertility when women are in their 30s, for example, is a very expensive process."

The program, running solely in the Australian Capital Territory, could be rolled out nationally if it is successful. It aims to test 300 to 400 young people at six participating ACT pharmacies, for a total cost of $6,000-$8,000 (US $6,087-$8,117) in payments to testers and the pharmacies.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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