The contribution of the Expert Working Group to combating increasing incidence rates of chlamydia among young people in the UK has been important and timely. The pilot projects, which are currently being evaluated, will shed some light on the feasibility and acceptability of a national screening programme. In the current climate, with increasing prevalence of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections and low levels of awareness amongst adolescents, detection and treatment of existing infections must be a public health priority.