Young people aged 16-24 have the chance to win a holiday for themselves and three friends – if they pee in a pot and take a test for chlamydia.

The primary care trusts in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Country Durham, Darlington and Teesside are campaigning to get as many young people as possible screened for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia.

The competition, follows a major screening achievement, achieving an NHS record for screening 2030 people in the same age group for chlamydia in two days at the recent Evolution Festival in Newcastle.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in under 25 year- olds, which often has no symptoms. If left untreated has serious consequences and can leave young men and women infertile. However, chlamydia is easily diagnosed through a simple urine test and easily treated with a free short course of antibiotics.

The NHS has a target to test 25% of young people aged between 16 and 24 years old as one in ten young people are thought to have the infection.

The competition prize is £2000 of holiday vouchers. To be entered into the competition the young person is required to take a chlamydia test and then to encourage three friends to test. Each friend fills out a competition entry form and they enter the competition together. The winners are a group of four friends who have all taken a test and win a £500 holiday voucher each. The prize has been provided from sponsorship by Foundry Media, the agency working with the primary care trusts on the campaign to raise awareness of the chlamydia screening programme.

Newcastle’s director of public health, Danny Ruta, speaking on behalf of the NHS, said: “I can’t stress enough what serious consequences having undiagnosed chlamydia could have for a young person – it could devastate their future plans to have a family.

“Quite rightly we have tough targets for the number of young people the NHS must screen and we have been doing lots of things to encourage young people to test.

“We’ve been on all university and college campuses, in night clubs and many other places with our peer advisors who explain to young people what’s involved in taking a chlamydia test. And we recently achieved a new first – a record of 2030 screens at the Evolution Festival - thanks to the hard work of our peer educators and the screening service. “Even with all this good work we still need to do more. We ran the holiday competition, a tried and tested way commercial organisations market to young people, with great success, and given the serious implications undiagnosed chlamydia can have, we want to draw on that again this year.”

The competition has been designed with the help of Newcastle-based social marketing firm Foundry Media who are also donating the four first prize holidays. Neil Foster, marketing manager of Foundry Media said: “In the current climate money can be tight for many young people. As a local business Foundry Media is delighted to donate a £2000 holiday for four friends who get checked out and win the competition. Win or lose the biggest prize will be the relief of finding you’re clear of chlamydia - or quickly getting it sorted if you’re not.”

When a young person takes a test a sample of their urine is sent off free of charge to a laboratory and the results take a few days to come through. People can say whether they want to receive their results by text, telephone or post.

Specialist health advisers from the NHS are available to help people tell their sexual partners that they too may have chlamydia.

Health advisors and peer advisors will be rolling the holiday competition out across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Darlington and Teesside. There are a series of events planned on university and college campuses, pubs and clubs including screening at this year’s hoppings and gay PRIDE festival. Closing date for the competition is Friday 31 July.

If you live in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, to enter to competition, order a testing kit or for further information about chlamydia visit – www.checkyourbits.org or call or text GREMLIN, with your full name and address to 80010, or telephone 0191 229 2958.

If you live in County Durham, Darlington or Teesside, to enter the competition, order a testing kit or for further information about chlamydia visit www.haveigotit.org or telephone: 0191 518 0557.

ENDS Notes for editor The Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Chlamydia Screening Programme is hosted by Newcastle PCT on behalf of North Tyneside PCT, Northumberland Care Trust, Sunderland TPCT, Gateshead PCT and South Tyneside PCT.

County Durham and Tees Valley NHS Chlamydia Screening Programme is hosted by County Durham PCT, Darlington PCT, Middlesbrough PCT, North Tees PCT, Hartlepool PCT and Redcar and Cleveland PCT.

The offices co-ordinate and implement the screening programme as well as marketing and publicity activity to increase the up take of testing with young people.