USPSTF recommendations for STI screening

Since 2000, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued eight clinical recommendation statements on screening for sexually transmitted infections. This article, written on behalf of the USPSTF, is an overview of these recommendations. The USPSTF recommends that women at increased risk of infection be screened for chlamydia, gonorrhea, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis. Men at increased risk should be screened for human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis. All pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis; pregnant women at increased risk also should be screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Nonpregnant women and men not at increased risk do not require routine screening for sexually transmitted infections. Engaging in high-risk sexual behavior places persons at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. The USPSTF recommends that all sexually active women younger than 25 years be considered at increased risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea. Because not all communities present equal risk of sexually transmitted infections, the USPSTF encourages physicians to consider expanding or limiting the routine sexually transmitted infection screening they provide based on the community and populations they serve.