Racial and Ethnic Differences in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing Locations Among Medicaid-Insured Youth.

PURPOSE: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhea (GC) infections are common among 15- to 24-year-olds, with Black and Hispanic youth disproportionately affected. Understanding where youth receive CT/GC testing is necessary to address disparities in CT/GC care. Our objective was to identify if differences exist in CT/GC testing locations by race and ethnicity. METHODS: We used 2019 MarketScan Medicaid data to examine CT/GC testing location by youth race and ethnicity. RESULTS: There were 418,623 CT/GC tests during the study period. Tests were most frequently ordered at medical offices for all races and ethnicities, although less frequently for Black (37.6%) and Hispanic (37.3%) than for White youth (49.3%). Black youth were frequently tested in emergency departments (19.6%), while Hispanic youth were frequently tested in Federally Qualified Health Centers (19.0%). DISCUSSION: We found significant racial and ethnic disparities in the location of CT/GC testing among Medicaid-insured-youth; these findings should be used to guide strategies that address inequities in CT/GC care.

Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Black Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Narrative Review of the Literature.

Purpose of Review: Black youth have disproportionately experienced inequities and barriers to care in accessing mental health services. The purpose of this review is to offer a summary of the currently available literature on mental health service utilization by Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to prior. A narrative review was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, psychINFO, and Embase from March 1, 2020 to September 1, 2022, to find studies that examined differences in the utilization of mental health services among Black youth. Recent Findings: Our results found only 3 studies which examined pre and during the COVID-19 mental health utilization rates among Black youth. Among these studies, time period, study design, sample size, race data, and change in mental health utilization were evaluated. Summary: From these results, we found that Black youth were overall less likely to utilize services for mental health during the pandemic. However, there were also findings that offer insights into innovative strategies to meet the needs of this unique population. As mental health service utilization has decreased and been slower to rebound from the pandemic compared to other health services, additional research on this topic is needed to ensure that the mental health needs of Black youth are being met.

An Intervention to Improve Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing Among Adolescents in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea among adolescents continue to rise. We aimed to evaluate if a universal testing program for chlamydia and gonorrhea improved testing rates in an urban general pediatric clinic and an urban family medicine clinic within a system of federally qualified health care centers and evaluated the feasibility, cost, and logistic challenges of expanding implementation across 28 primary care clinics within a federally qualified health care centers system. METHODS: A universal testing quality improvement program for male and female patient 14 to 18 years old was implemented in a general pediatrics and family medicine clinic in Denver, Colorado. The intervention was evaluated by using a controlled pre-post quasi-experimental design. The difference in testing rates due to the intervention was assessed by using a difference-in-differences regression model weighted with the inverse probability of treatment. RESULTS: In total, 15 541 pediatric encounters and 5420 family medicine encounters were included in the analyses. In pediatrics, the unadjusted testing rates increased from 32.0% to 66.7% in the intervention group and from 20.9% to 28.9% in the comparison group. For family medicine, the rates increased from 38.5% to 49.9% in the intervention group and decreased from 26.3% to 24.8% in the comparison group. The intervention resulted in an adjusted increase in screening rates of 25.2% (P < .01) in pediatrics and 11.8% (P < .01) in family medicine. The intervention was well received and cost neutral to the clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Universal testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea in primary care pediatrics and family medicine is a feasible approach to improving testing rates .

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Rates Among 12- to 24-Year-Old Patients in an Urban Health System.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) infection rates continue to rise. Screening guidelines have largely focused on sexually active female individuals and men who have sex with men populations. Health care system testing and infection rates, particularly among heterosexual male individuals, are poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate CT and GC testing and prevalence among 12- to 24-year-old patients in an urban federally qualified health center system. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed electronic health record data from 2017 to 2019 in a large system of federally qualified health centers in Denver, CO. Abstracted data included demographics, sexual activity, sexual orientation, and laboratory results. χ2 Tests were used to evaluate differences between groups. RESULTS: Of the 44,021 patients included, 37.6% were tested, 15.0% were positive for CT, and 3.4% were positive for GC. Heterosexual male patients had a testing rate of 22.8% and positivity rates of CT and GC at 13.1% and 3.0%, respectively. Among tested patients documented as not sexually active, 7.5% were positive for CT. Multiple or reinfections were detected in 29% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows low testing rates and high rates of CT and GC infections among all patients, including heterosexual male patients and those documented as not sexually active. Improved screening of these populations in the primary care setting may be key to combating the sexually transmitted disease epidemic.