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. 2023 Jun;116(6):455-463.
doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001564.

STI Testing among Medicaid Enrollees Initiating PrEP for HIV Prevention in Six Southern States

Paul Lanier  1 , Susan Kennedy  2 , Angela Snyder  3 , Jessica Smith  3 , Eric Napierala  3 , Jeffrey Talbert  4 , Lindsey Hammerslag  4 , Larry Humble  5 , Eddy Myers  5 , Angel Whittington  5 , Jheramy Smith  5 , Marcus Bachhuber  6 , Anna Austin  1 , Thomas Blount  7 , Grace Stehlin  1 , Ana Lopez-De Fede  8 , Hoa Nguyen  8 , Jean Bruce  9 , Carlos G Grijalva  9 , Sunita Krishnan  2 , Caitlin Otter  2 , Katie Horton  10 , Naomi Seiler  10 , William S Pearson  11
Affiliations

STI Testing among Medicaid Enrollees Initiating PrEP for HIV Prevention in Six Southern States

Paul Lanier et al. South Med J. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among Medicaid enrollees initiating preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus. Secondary data are in the form of Medicaid enrollment and claims data in six states in the US South.

Methods: Research partnerships in six states in the US South developed a distributed research network to accomplish study aims. Each state identified all first-time PrEP users in fiscal year 2017-2018 (combined N = 990) and measured the presence of STI testing for chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea through 2019. Each state calculated the percentage of individuals with at least one STI test during 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up periods.

Results: The proportion of first-time PrEP users that received an STI test varied by state: 37% to 67% of all of the individuals in each state who initiated PrEP received a test within the first 6 months of PrEP treatment and 50% to 77% received a test within the first 12 months.

Conclusions: Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends STI testing at least every 6 months for PrEP users, our analysis of Medicaid data suggests that STI testing occurs less frequently than recommended in populations at elevated risk of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

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Figures

Fig.
Fig.
Algorithm for identifying PrEP users combined for all states. HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; PEP, postexposure prophylaxis; PrEP, preexposure prophylaxis; TDF-FTC, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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