UCLA

Background

Gay, bisexual, transgender, and homeless youth are at risk of sexually transmitted infections. As part of an adolescent human immunodeficiency virus prevention study, we provided same-day Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) testing and treatment. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of same-day CT and NG treatment on the proportion of participants receiving timely treatment.

Methods

We recruited adolescents with high sexual risk behaviors aged 12 to 24 years from homeless shelters, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations, and community health centers in Los Angeles, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana from May 2017 to June 2019. Initially, participants were offered point-of-care pharyngeal, rectal, and urethral/vaginal CT and NG testing and referral to another clinic for treatment. After March 2018 in Los Angeles and November 2018 in New Orleans, we provided same-day treatment (and partner treatment packs) for study participants. We measured the proportion of participants who received same-day treatment and the median time to treatment. We collected frequency of partner treatment and any reported adverse treatment-related events.

Results

The proportion of participants receiving same-day CT and NG treatment increased from 3.6% (5/140) to 21.1% (20/95; Δ17.5%; 95% confidence interval, 9.2%-26.9%) after implementation of same-day testing and treatment. The median time to treatment decreased from 18.5 to 3 days. Overall, 36 participants took a total of 48 partner treatment packs. There were no reported treatment-related adverse events.

Conclusions

Providing sexually transmitted infection treatment to adolescents at the same visit as testing is feasible and safe, and can increase the proportion of individuals receiving timely treatment.