If you read this issue’s cover article on how important urgent care is in fighting the current surge of sexually transmitted infections in the United States, you know that we are in the midst of an STI epidemic. (And if you didn’t read it, you should turn to page X to do so after you’re done here.)
Sure, there have been demographic shifts in healthcare preferences; more Americans than ever
(especially in the younger generational groups) are disinclined to establish traditional primary care relationships. But it’s also true that the need for urgent care centers has intensified because many formerly busy STI-dedicated clinics are no longer in operation. So, urgent care it is. As you’ll see in the graph below, three STIs rank among the top 10 tests administered in the urgent care setting.
