The AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases recommends HIV testing of adolescents with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). According to a new study by Petsis et al (10.1542/peds.2019-2265), who looked at the prevalence of completed HIV testing in teens presenting with new onset STIs in two urban primary care clinics between 2014 and 2017, the rates of this recommended HIV testing are low. The 1,313 adolescents and young adults in this study ranged from 13 to 24 years and experienced 1,816 incident STIs. Sadly, only a little over half (55%) had a completed HIV test. The added benefit of reading this study is not just to report testing rates but to identify factors associated with testing. For example, having a prior STI, being female, uninsured, and having a confidential sexual encounter decreased the likelihood of being tested for HIV. These findings suggest significant disparities, even with such a low rate of testing. Why might this be the case, and what factors could lead to better compliance with the recommendation to test? There are both healthcare and patient-related factors at play as demonstrated in this study. Given the low rate of testing overall, this study suggests that you should evaluate what is happening in your practice and see if you can participate in a quality improvement project so rates of testing in your practice improve.
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Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and HIV Testing: There’s Room for Improvement
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Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and HIV Testing: There’s Room for Improvement
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March 17, 2020
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Pediatrics Blog