Basingstoke volunteers help smash world record for chlamydia screenings (From Basingstoke Gazette)
When news happens, text BAZ and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Basingstoke volunteers help smash world record for chlamydia screenings
5:00pm Saturday 23rd February 2013 in News By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter
(From left) Public relations co-ordinator for Solent NHS Trust Wesley Hutchins, finance manager Nicky Gehling, Basingstoke volunteer worker Lee Gorehm and sexual health team leader Andrew Smith
IT’S official – a world record for the highest number of chlamydia screenings in 24 hours has been broken, thanks to the help of Basing-stoke volunteers.
The town will now go down in history as helping to break the rather bizarre Guinness World Record on Valentine’s Day, when 767 people were tested for the sexually transmitted infection – smashing the target of 500 that health bosses had hoped for.
Hundreds of young people in Hampshire responded to the call to Keep Calm and Get Tested, including at the new Crown Heights Sexual Health Centre in Alencon Link, Basingstoke, where a specialist testing team carried out 50 free screenings, collecting urine samples from 15 to 25-year-olds between 10am and 5pm.
Run by Solent NHS Trust, the record attempt was part of an education and awareness drive to safeguard young people.
Screenings were also held at Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester universities.
It is estimated that about one in 14 young people in the region has the sexually transmitted infection, which can cause infertility if left untreated.
Doctor Ros Tolcher, the trust’s chief executive, accepted a certificate from Guinness confirming the official record, and said: “Alongside setting a Guinness World Record, we are proud to have played a role in ensuring that so many young people will know more about chlamydia and will receive treatment quickly, effectively and free.”
Young people who want to be tested for chlamydia can request a free testing kit by texting CALM to 6677, visiting letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk or call 0300 300 2016.
