Rates of Appropriate Treatment and Follow-Up Testing After a Gonorrhea and/or Chlamydia Infection in an Urban Network of Federally Qualified Health Center Systems

Background Reinfection and partner transmission are common with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). We assessed treatment and follow-up laboratory testing for GC and CT and evaluated associations with patient- and system-level factors. Methods The analysis included positive GC and/or CT nucleic acid amplification test results from patients aged 14 to 24 years at a federally qualified health center system site in Denver, CO, from January 2018 to December 2019. Outcomes assessed include treatment within 14 days, HIV/syphilis testing within 6 months, and repeat GC and CT testing within 2 to 6 months. Bivariate and multivariable regression modeling assessed associated factors. Results Among 27,168 GC/CT nucleic acid amplification tests performed, 1.8% (484) were positive for GC and 7.8% (2125) were positive for CT. Within the assessed time frames, 87% (2275) of patients were treated, 54.1% (1411) had HIV testing, 50.1% (1306) had syphilis testing, and 39.9% (1040) had GC and CT retesting. Older patients were more likely to receive treatment (adjusted odds ratio 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.27; P = 0.05) than younger patients, whereas males were less likely to receive GC and CT retesting (adjusted odds ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.33; P < 0.001) than females. Patients treated on the day of testing were less likely to receive follow-up laboratory tests than those treated 2 to 14 days after. Conclusions Although most patients received antibiotic treatment, only about half received HIV/syphilis testing and less than half received GC and CT retesting. It is critical to find innovative strategies to improve treatment and follow-up management of these infections to decrease complications, reduce transmission, and combat the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections.