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Online STI Kits Increase Rate of Testing Among Young People
January 10, 2018 By Wasiq
I came across an interesting paper that offered STI testing over the internet rather than at clinics. Published in PLOS Medicine, this trial was a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial. The study was conducted in the UK, and recruited patients between the ages of 16-30 who had at least 1 sexual partner in the past year and had the willingness to undergo testing for STIs. They ended up with a little over 2,000 patients. Patients were randomized to receive either a text message with a link to e-STI services or a text message that linked to a website with locations of many different sexual health clinics. Outcomes that were measured included: self-reported STI testing at 6 weeks (verified by record checks) and self-reported STI diagnosis at 6 weeks (verified by record checks).
The authors found a 50% increase in STI testing in the e-STI group compared to the clinic group. The time to test was shorter in the e-STI group compared to the clinic group and there were no differences for time to treatment.
Personally, I don't find these results that startling. It makes sense to me why young people would prefer doing the e-STI kit rather than going to a clinic. There are fewer people to deal with, and there's the sense of feeling completely anonymous. I think that this raises an interesting question on our end: are we doing something wrong in the way we approach patients about STI testing? As physicians, we are to remain objective and non-judgmental about sexual practices and STIs. Perhaps this contributed to the higher use of e-STI kits rather than clinic visits. I'm also curious about how much e-STI kits cost compared to clinic testing. Either way, this may be something we should readily offer to our patients!
Filed Under: Apps, Featured Post, Trending Topics Tagged With: e-STI, e-STI kits, e-STI testing, STI testing
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About Wasiq
Wasiq grew up around the Philadelphia area and went to the University of Pittsburgh where he majored in Neuroscience and minored in both Bioengineering and Chemistry. Wasiq is interested in research and spent much of his undergraduate career studying alterations in cortical circuits in schizophrenia. He is presently considering cardiology as his future career but is keen on exploring different fields during rotations.