Testing for STIs Isn’t Keeping Pace with Sexual Activity Among Younger Patients

We’ve told you about an uptick in sexually transmitted infection among adults since relaxation of social distancing rules in municipalities across the U.S. Unfortunately, that trend could soon extend to younger patients as well, if data newly published in the journal Pediatrics is any indication. Despite national guidelines that recommend annual testing for certain STIs in specific segments of the adolescent population, only 20% of sexually active high school students say they were tested for STIs in the previous year. Given that 38% of high schoolers admit to having sexual intercourse, with 9% saying they’ve had four or more partners according to the latest data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, this sets the stage for robust spread of infection among teens. The problem may be especially foreboding for boys who, according to the Pediatrics article, are only half as likely as girls to have been tested for STIs (13.7% vs 26.1%, respectively). For insights into the topic of sexually transmitted disease across patient types in the urgent care setting, read STDs: Assessment and Treatment in Urgent Care in the JUCM archive.