The Action Plan on Chlamydia Prevention in Sweden Presentation by Anna-ChuChu Schindele, Analyst at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Department of Knowledge Development, Unit for Health and Sexuality. Presented at IUSTI Europe 2016, Budapest, HUngary.

1. The Action Plan on Chlamydia
Prevention in Sweden
Anna-ChuChu Schindele, Analyst
Public Health Agency of Sweden
Department of Knowledge Development
Unit for Health and Sexuality

2. .Sid
Background to The Action Plan on
Chlamydia Prevention in Sweden
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Chlamydia cases in Sweden
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The Logical Framework Approach
(LFA)
•Analyse the problem and state a vision.
• The process included experts from county councils,
municipalities, civil society and national agencies.
• Set up goals and describe how to reach them
through activities and indicators.
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Research and development
• Platform for research and
development
• Baseline survey in 2009,
“UngKAB09”
• Follow-up survey in 2015
“UngKAB15”
• In-depth studies from both baseline
and the follow-up provides
knowledge in the field of sexual
health and STI-prevention
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6. .Sid
Youths at risk for Chlamydia
• 37.6% of the chlamydia cases among girls and 38.6% of
chlamydia cases among boys were found among 10%of the
respondents.
“Identification and risk assessment of Swedish youth at risk of chlamydia”. Hammarström et al. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health,
2015; 43: 399–407
• Risk factors for Chlamydia; high number of sex partners,
low age at sexual debut, the experience of having received
payment for sex, alcohol consumption (among boys and
men)
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Detained
youths
Youths in
UngKAB09
Sexual debut
before age 15
78 31
Unprotected intercourse last time they
had sex
50 21
Alcohol use in relation to the last time
for sexual intercourse
44 23
Drug use in relation to the last time
for sexual intercourse
32 3
More than 6 partners during the past
12 months
22 9
Received / given
reimbursement for sex
9 2
Sexual violence 62 47
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“Unequal sexual health – Differences between detained youth and their same aged peers.” Lindroth et al. Scandinavian
Journal of Public Health, 2013; 41: 722–728

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Gender inequality
• A higher proportion of girls (98 percent) than boys (88
percent) knew where they could have a STI-test.
(UngKAB09)
• A higher proportion of girls (70/63,5 percent) than boys
(42/35 percent) reported that they had been tested for
Chlamydia. (UngKAB09/ UngKAB15)
• A higher proportion of girls (22 percent) than boys (and 13
percent) reported that the counselling session made them
have safer sex. (UngKAB15)
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National Information Campaigns
• “Chlamydia Monday”
• “The Shag tree”
• “Colour of Love”
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The National Information Campaign
”The Chlamydia Monday”
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The National Information Campaign
”The Shag Tree”
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The National Communication Campaign
”Colour of Love”
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Lesson learned and suggestions
for the future
• The health care sector as well as the youth clinics need to
develop methods for risk-assessment in their daily work.
• When reaching out to youths at risk it is important to have a
rights based approach.
• Young people's vulnerability for chlamydia and sexual health
needs to be understood within an intersectional perspective.
• Prevention, including testing and counselling, needs to focus
on boys and men and not only on girls and women.
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14. .Sid
Conclusions
• The National Action Plan on Chlamydia prevention
may have had an effect on the incidence of
chlamydia in Sweden.
• New knowledge to base the future work on.
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Thanks for your attention!
anna-chuchu.schindele@folkhalsomyndigheten.se
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