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Background: Since 1994, Iowa has participated in the Region VII IPP. The IIPP committee is made up of the two Title X Family Planning grantee Directors, the state Coordinator, the state STD Program Manager, and a representative from the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory. Because of repeated rescissions and funding cuts at both the state and federal levels, the number of specimens submitted to the state public health lab needed to be reduced.
Objectives: 1) Explain the process used by the IIPP committee to make changes to current state screening criteria, and 2) Describe the new state criteria and the impact on data, services, and partnerships.
Methods: In the first three months of 2009, the IIPP committee met three times to review IIPP prevalence monitoring data to establish new IIPP screening criteria. The committee compared data by test results, gender, and age to determine the highest risk groups.
Results: The new criteria went into effect May 1, 2009. Women 35 and older are no longer screened or tested as part of the IIPP. Providers were receptive to the new criteria. The number of specimens submitted has decreased 14%. In 1st quarter 2009, 15,519 specimens were submitted, and in 2nd quarter, 13, 221. The number of specimens in all individuals 35 and up decreased from 1,409 in 1st quarter to 662 in 2nd quarter. The chlamydia positivity rate remained constant statewide at around 8%. Rates by clinic type also remained constant.
Conclusions: Through a collaborative process, the IIPP was able to adjust the screening criteria and reduce specimens submitted while maintaining a steady, state-wide positivity rate and continuing to target those at highest risk.
Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: IPP screening criteria can be used to target screening high-risk women, while eliminating unneeded testing in an older population.