Cost, discomfort with self-administration and privacy concerns are potential barriers to increasing the use of STI self-tests among adolescents and young adults, according to a study.
Although interventions by medical professionals have been shown to improve STI testing rates among teens, just one-fifth of sexually active adolescents and young adults reported being recently tested in a 2022 study. Additionally, nearly half of new STI diagnoses occur among adolescents and young adults, according to the CDC.
Katie Foug, BS, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan Medical School, Jayelin