STI Testing among Medicaid Enrollees Initiating PrEP for HIV Prevention in Six Southern States

Authors

Paul Lanier, From the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Susan Kennedy, AcademyHealth, Washington, DC.
Angela Snyder, Georgia State University, Atlanta.
Jessica Smith, Georgia State University, Atlanta.
Eric Napierala, Georgia State University, Atlanta.
Jeffrey Talbert, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
Lindsey Hammerslag, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
Larry Humble, University of Louisiana, Monroe.
Eddy Myers, University of Louisiana, Monroe.
Angel Whittington, University of Louisiana, Monroe.
Jheramy Smith, University of Louisiana, Monroe.
Marcus Bachhuber, Louisiana Department of Health, Baton Rouge.
Anna Austin, From the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Thomas Blount, Federal Advisory Partners, Arlington, VA.
Grace Stehlin, From the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Ana Lopez-De Fede, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
Hoa Nguyen, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
Jean Bruce, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Carlos G. Grijalva, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Sunita Krishnan, AcademyHealth, Washington, DC.
Caitlin Otter, AcademyHealth, Washington, DC.
Katie Horton, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Naomi Seiler, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
William S. Pearson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

6-1-2023

Journal

Southern medical journal

Volume

116

Issue

6

DOI

10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001564

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among Medicaid enrollees initiating preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus. Secondary data are in the form of Medicaid enrollment and claims data in six states in the US South. METHODS: Research partnerships in six states in the US South developed a distributed research network to accomplish study aims. Each state identified all first-time PrEP users in fiscal year 2017-2018 (combined N = 990) and measured the presence of STI testing for chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea through 2019. Each state calculated the percentage of individuals with at least one STI test during 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up periods. RESULTS: The proportion of first-time PrEP users that received an STI test varied by state: 37% to 67% of all of the individuals in each state who initiated PrEP received a test within the first 6 months of PrEP treatment and 50% to 77% received a test within the first 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends STI testing at least every 6 months for PrEP users, our analysis of Medicaid data suggests that STI testing occurs less frequently than recommended in populations at elevated risk of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

APA Citation

Lanier, Paul; Kennedy, Susan; Snyder, Angela; Smith, Jessica; Napierala, Eric; Talbert, Jeffrey; Hammerslag, Lindsey; Humble, Larry; Myers, Eddy; Whittington, Angel; Smith, Jheramy; Bachhuber, Marcus; Austin, Anna; Blount, Thomas; Stehlin, Grace; Fede, Ana Lopez-De; Nguyen, Hoa; Bruce, Jean; Grijalva, Carlos G.; Krishnan, Sunita; Otter, Caitlin; Horton, Katie; Seiler, Naomi; and Pearson, William S., "STI Testing among Medicaid Enrollees Initiating PrEP for HIV Prevention in Six Southern States" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 2791.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/2791

Department

Health Policy and Management