Better Way To Test Teens for STDs

Better Way To Test Teens for STDs

Sexually active girls are more likely to be tested, diagnosed and treated for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) when given the option of using a vaginal swab to collect a test sample themselves rather than having a pelvic exam, according to a recent UAB study published in the June 2001 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

"The use of vaginal swabs appears to be a more acceptable method of testing to these girls who are at high risk for STDs and therefore need to be tested regularly," says Kim Smith, MT (ASCP), infectious diseases research associate at UAB. Findings support the use of vaginal swabs as a good non-clinical method of screening for STDs.

Contact Joy Carter, Media Relations, 205-934-1676 or [email protected].

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