Decreased STI testing early in pandemic could lead to surge in new cases, researchers warn
Fox News
A decline in sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among men and women in the early months of the pandemic may translate into a future surge in new cases, researchers said.
"The quickest way for people to spread STIs is to not know that they have one," Casey Pinto, assistant professor of public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and researcher at Penn State Cancer Institute said, in a statement. "The inability to detect asymptomatic cases could have negative repercussions for years to come." The data showed that despite about a 60% decrease in STI testing in early April, the positivity rate for both chlamydia and gonorrhea infections were increasing. The researchers also noted that early findings suggest people continued to be sexually active with others outside of their household despite the declines in screening and testing.More Related News