Health Beat
ER Doctors Use Computer Survey to Obtain Teens’ Sexual History
According to new research from the Washington University School of Medicine.
More than 1 million youths ages 15-24 have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea. Many others, however, are unaware they are infected because they have not been tested. Technology can change that, according to preliminary data from research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study, by Fahd A. Ahmad, MD, a clinical and postdoctoral fellow in pediatrics, and colleagues, showed that adolescents visiting a pediatric emergency department are willing to disclose information about their sexual activity when filling out a computerized questionnaire, and this information can be used to determine whether they should be tested for STIs. In addition, adolescents said …
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