By Mickey Emmanuel, MD, Joanna S. Cohen, MD, and Monika Goyal, MD, MSCE
I was greeted Monday morning by one of my teenage patients who revealed anxiously, “I’m worried I might have an STD.” She was 17 years old with a history of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and recently had a new sexual partner. I commended her on seeking care. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I could easily order all available testing, but now, testing is less available.
The four most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. Rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia have been increasing over the past five years, disproportionately affecting communities of color and adolescents. This pandemic has the potential to exacerbate these disparities. The reasons for this are multifactorial and include limited access to primary care and STI clinics, shortage of STI testing supplies, and hesitancy from the public regarding routine screening and preventive care during the pandemic.