[A questionnaire study in the county of Stockholm on transmission control of chlamydia infections. Too many physicians neglect the contact tracing]

Since 1989 the reporting of chlamydia infections is regulated by the Contagious Diseases Act, which stipulates that a physician who detects chlamydia is obliged to trace the patient's sexual partner(s). Up to 1994 the annual decrease in the number of chlamydia cases was 20 percent, which did not meet the goal stipulated by the County Council. A questionnaire study was carried out concerning diagnosis, treatment and public health intervention in chlamydia patients seen by general and private practitioners. While the clinical management was seen to adhere to the recommendations of the National Board of Health, adequate tracing of sexual contacts was not carried out in 20-45 per cent of the cases. In a major urban area, such as the County of Stockholm, referral of all chlamydia cases to specialist clinics could possibly improve not only the care of the patients but also the success rate in reaching their sex partners