Study suggests free drug vouchers may be more effective than STD clinics in providing chlamydia treatment

Successful treatment of sexually transmitted diseases relies on both partners seeking medical care, something that is not always possible due to costs, but also the stigma that often surrounds these types of conditions. Consequently, health officials around the world are trying to come up with schemes that may make it easier for people to access STD treatment.

A recent study distributed 600 vouchers to individuals diagnosed with chlamydia, which allowed their sexual partners to get a free dose of antibiotics used to treat the STD at a pharmacy. However, these individuals also had an option to go to a clinic for testing and treatment, according to Reuters Health.

The results suggested that while 40 percent of the vouchers were redeemed within the next few days, only 4 percent of eligible individuals sought treatment at a clinic.

Dr Sharon Cameron, the lead author of the study and a gynecologist at the Dean Terrace Center in Edinburgh, told the news provider that some people may simply be embarrassed to go to a clinic.

This system "gives individuals another option of where they would want to go [and] be treated," she added.

According to the CDC, chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial STD, and some 1.2 million cases were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2008. Treatment is easy and effective when the condition is uncovered early, something which STD testing can facilitate.