The tests are free. The test involves collecting a urine sample that is sent to a laboratory for analysis. Health officials believe the urine test will be far less unpleasant to patients than the old method, which involved swabbing the cervix of females and taking a swab sample from the urethra of males. People who test positive would be referred for medical care. Chlamydia is easily eliminated with antibiotics, but if left untreated in women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal pregnancy and infertility.
Some research also suggests that it puts women at risk for cervical cancer.
Men who are not treated for chlamydia usually do not develop serious problems, but they can transmit the disease to their sexual partners. Because chlamydia often shows no symptoms, it can be passed along unknowingly. Tsou said reinfection was a big problem with chlamydia. One study found that about 25 percent of women treated for the disease ultimately get it again. The commissioner said chlamydia testing would be offered to teenagers without parental consent, but he urged teenagers to talk to their parents about it.