A Scoping Review of Approaches to Extragenital Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening for Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States.

Objective: To identify effective strategies for extragenital sexually transmitted infection screening among adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

Data sources: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute method, searches were conducted in PubMed and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) for relevant, peer-reviewed articles published from January 2000 through December 2024.

Study selection: The search strategy identified studies pertaining to chlamydia, gonorrhea, extragenital sites, screening, and AYAs. Studies were included if most participants were 12 to 24 years old or if their outcomes were disaggregated. Selected studies described at least one approach to extragenital screening, reporting corresponding measures of uptake, preferability, or acceptability. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria.

Data extraction: Data on study characteristics, sampled populations, approaches, relative successes, infection prevalence, and correlates were extracted, critically appraised, and descriptively synthesized.

Data synthesis: Included studies demonstrated higher extragenital screening uptake in research studies (89%-100%) compared to routine care (0%-74%) and when standardized protocols and health care staff trainings were incorporated. Extragenital infections were prevalent among female AYAs with genital infection, as well as sexual and gender minority individuals assigned male at birth.

Conclusion: Increasing clinical standardization as well as enhancing health care and nursing staff training may improve detection of common extragenital infections and help prevent associated sexual and reproductive health complications.