To determine the percentage of female adolescent patients (13-26 years old) who had HIV testing ordered within 90 days of incident sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis during an outpatient clinic visit. This was a retrospective chart review study evaluating 830 visits among 589 female patients 13 to 26 years who had an incident STI diagnosed in outpatient Adolescent Medicine or Pediatric Practices in an urban, nonprofit, academic, free-standing children's hospital at the main campus and a community site in the Northeast United States. Odds of HIV screening was greater at the community-based adolescent medicine practice (odds ratio [OR] = 3.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.92, 5.24]) and when seen by an adolescent medicine provider (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: [1.02, 2.03]). Only 33.5% (n = 283) of 844 clinical encounters had HIV screening obtained within 90 days of incident STI diagnosis. Overall, HIV screening rates within 90 days of STI diagnosis was low, and there is much room for improvement.
Keywords: HIV testing; STIs; clinical practice; female adolescents and young adults; health disparities; provider training.