Australian young adults receive financial incentive for chlamydia testing

Teens and young adults in the Australian Capital territory are being encouraged to get screened for a common sexually transmitted disease with a relatively uncommon incentive, the Australian Associated Press reports.

Individuals between the ages of 16 and 30 will be given $10 to take a chlamydia test, as part of a public health initiative spearheaded by the territorial government.

If it is relatively successful in encouraging youth to get tested, the program may be expanded to other territories, the news source said.

The number of chlamydia cases in Australia has risen dramatically in the past few years, from 17,000 reported cases in 2000 to 61,000 a decade later, according to Western Australia Today.

In the U.S., chlamydia is similarly common. The disease is generally symptomless at first, though it can cause pelvic pain and a burning sensation during urination. If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and atopic pregnancy.

Individuals who suspect that they have the disease may consider investing in online testing services to determine the state of their sexual health.

An estimated 2.3 million Americans have chlamydia, though approximately half of them are unaware of the infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.