Managers at Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) believe about one in 10 young people in the county are carrying the infertility-causing infection but its screening programme to detect and therefore treat it is 2,000 cases behind target.

The main cause of the deficit is believed to be the embarrassment of asking to be tested so the PCT has come up with a test kit which can be requested on the internet, then used at home and finally sent to a hospital lab.

Results are then sent in the form of a coded text message within two weeks giving either the all-clear or advising the patient to see a doctor for quick treatment.

Suzy Dion, the chlamydia screening co-ordinator for Northamptonshire, said: "You can get the message in the form of a letter, phone call or text message but 99 per cent of people who have used the service so far have asked for a text.

"It means people don't have to be embarrassed about a test. If you swap phones with a friend or your parent picks up the phone they will have no idea what it means.

"For example, if it's negative it just says 'all okay CS' which could mean anything".

Mrs Dion said she was confident the scheme, which also includes more awareness drives and placing of the kits in GP surgeries, and University of Northampton campuses, would help the PCT meet its Government target of screening about 9,000 more young people by March.

It is being timed to start just before Christmas in the hope it will encourage more young people to get themselves screened and treated, in time for the party season.

Health workers stress it is important that the problem of the spread of infection is addressed both because of the high cost to the NHS of treatment and a potentially large population of infertile people.

Mrs Dion said: "Young people tend to think they are invincible but that's not the case.

"We call it the silent epidemic because in most cases people show no symptoms even though it causes damage.

"Chlamydia is very serious if left undiagnosed, but it is so easily treated which is what this programme is all about," she added.

The address of the PCT's new chlamydia website,is www.lovebugfree.com