Promoting the use of free patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) substantially increased its use and may have resulted in a decrease in chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, according to a new study. The study made PDPT available to clinicians, and provided public health partner services based on clinician referral. Heterosexual individuals with gonorrhea or chlamydia were eligible for the intervention. The intervention increased the percentage of persons receiving PDPT from clinicians from 18% to 34%, and the percentage receiving partner services from 25% to 45%. The intervention was also associated with an approximately 10% reduction in both chlamydia positivity and gonorrhea incidence.  

According to a study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the HPV vaccine is not associated with increased STD rates. Researchers analyzed an insurance database of young girls ages 12 to 18 from 2005 through 2010 to examine STD rates among girls who were vaccinated and those who were not. The data set included more than 21,600 girls who received the HPV vaccine and 186,500 girls who were not vaccinated. Study results indicated that vaccinated females had higher rates of STDs before and after vaccination compared with those who were nonvaccinated. However, there was no significant difference in the growth of STD rates between the two groups in the year following vaccination, leading researchers to conclude that the HPV vaccine is not likely associated with an increase in unsafe sexual behavior.

The National Coalition of STD Directors and CAI (formerly Cicatelli Associates Inc.) collaboratively developed two toolkits to provide a framework for developing and implementing a referral system to link youth to school or community based sexual health services."Developing a Referral System for Sexual Health Services: An Implementation Tool Kit" and "Establishing Organizational Partnerships to Increase Student Access to Sexual Health Services: A Resource Guide for Education Agencies" provide a framework for developing and implementing a referral system to link youth to school or community based sexual health services. These resources can be best utilized by education agencies and youth serving agencies working to increase students' access to sexual health services.

This study, published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases, evaluates the Florida Department of Health STD Program's use of providing test results through text message. The study examines client uptake and completion of texting and whether texting was associated with a shorter treatment period. From February 2012 to January 2013, 10,272 clients were offered texting, and 52% opted in. Among texters who were positive and had not been treated, 57% called back. Texters received treatment in 5.1 days, and nontexters received treatment in 6.7 days. Researchers concluded thattexting offers STD programs an alternative to traditional notification procedures and may be a viable option for STD programs to reduce the use of staff resources and increase timely treatment for clients.  

A new smartphone dongle, developed by engineers at Columbia

University, can detect HIV and syphilis in just 15 minutes.  The dongle, which plugs in to the audio jack, replicates traditional lab-based diagnostics for the HIV antibody, as well as two markers for syphilis, in a single-test format. Researchers found the technology was 92 to 100 percent accurate for sensitivity, or tests that were true-positive, and 79 to 100 percent accurate for specificity, or tests that are true-negative. The accessory tests for syphilis and HIV in particular because they are two serious infections that can be passed from mother to child in the womb, but it also has the potential to test for other STDs and markers, such as cancer markers and diabetic markers.