Protecting Women with Universal Screening

1 in 2 sexually active people will get an STI before age 251,2*

Because 75% of chlamydia infections and nearly 68% of gonorrhea infections in women are asymptomatic, the majority of women with harmful infections never seek screening.3
As a result, nearly 24,000 women become infertile each year because of an untreated STI.4

5_Women

Risk-based screening = missed opportunities

  • ONLY 52% of sexually active women ages 16-24 are screened annually for chlamydia.5
  • Risk-based screening assumes full patient disclosure about their sexual history.
  • Cases of Chlamydia (CT) and Gonorrhea (NG) are often found even among those who report abstinence.6
  • Patients refuse physician-offered screening, due to embarrassment or confidentiality concerns.

An inclusive solution6

A universal screening CT/NG strategy targets women within the high-risk age group covered by guidelines (ages 15-24 years old) regardless of reported sexual activity. This holistic routine approach provides comprehensive benefits to patients, physicians, and healthcare organizations, including:

  • Detecting care opportunities that would otherwise be missed.
  • Decreasing STI prevalence and infertility issues.
  • Reducing total cost of healthcare.

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1. Cates JR, et al. Our Voices, Our Lives, Our Futures: Youth and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2004. 2. CDC. GYT Know the Facts. Accessed August 26, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/std/saw/gyt/knowthefacts.htm. 3. Farley TA, et al. Asymptomatic sexually transmitted diseases: the case for screening. Prev Med. 2003;36(4):502-509. doi:10.1016/S0091-7435(02)00058-0. 4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Americans. Published April 2013. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/std/products/infographics/images/Youth-STI-Infographic_620.jpg. 5. NCQA. Chlamydia Screening in Women. https://www.ncqa.org/hedis/measures/chlamydia-screening-in-women/. Accessed August 26, 2020. 6. Owusu-Edusei K, et al. Cost- Effectiveness of Opt-Out Chlamydia Testing for High-Risk Young Women in the U.S. Am J Prev Med. 2016;51(2):216-24. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.01.007.