Check Your Risk: Increasing in-School STI Screening Rates

Troutman, Kenya

Increasing Screening Rates in a School-Based STI Screening Program

Background:DC adolescents ages 15-24 are disproportionally affected by chlamydia and gonorrhea, accounting for more than half of all new infections in 2013. The Department of Health piloted the School-Based Screening Program (SBSP) in SY2007/2008. Screening rates began to decline in SY2011/2012 and reached its lowest point in SY2014/2015 at 46%. Programmatic adjustments were made with the goal of increasing screening rates during SY2015/2016.

Methods: Screening was provided at schools with the highest disease burdens and a ‘Check Your Risk’ theme was incorporated to encourage youth to self-asses risk levels and raise perceived susceptibility. Risk behavior questions were added to the demographic form and HIV testing on screening days was discontinued. Data on participation, screening, reported risk behaviors, and positivity rates were collected and analyzed for SY2015/2016.

Results: During SY2014/2015 school year: 6,067 students participated; 2,778 (46%) were tested; 105 (4%) were infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea or both; and 15 (14%) of the positive students had been diagnosed with an STI in the last 12 months. During SY2015/2016: 4,396 students participated; 2,449 (56%) were tested; 94 (4%) were infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea or both; and 23 (24%) of the positive students had been diagnosed with an STI in the last 12 months. 88% of students testing positive responded to risk behavior questions; 67% reported engaging in unprotected sex.

Conclusions: Discontinuing HIV testing on screening days resulted in an increase in STI screening rates. Raising perceived susceptibility among students resulted in at-risk students participating in screening. The SBSP will continue to be implemented in high-morbidity schools and will expand to collect and analyze data on at-risk students that do not participate in screening. Changes to the format of the presentation will also be adopted for SY2016/2017.

LB22 Check Your Risk: Increasing in-School STI Screening Rates