Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Emergency Department

Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection are at an all-time high among adolescents. Because many infections are asymptomatic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at least yearly screening in sexually active female adolescents and all sexually active male adolescents if in high-prevalence clinical settings or in populations with high burden of infection. Adolescents often access the emergency department for care, many of whom are at high risk, making the emergency department a strategic setting to screen for sexually transmitted infections. Nucleic acid amplification testing is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–recommended test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Empiric treatment should be considered carefully and initiated if indicated. Partner treatment is also important, and expedited partner therapy may be an option.