As STIs Rise, Experts Recommend People Under 30 Get Tested

• Officials in Canada recommend that people under age 30 who are sexually active get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Experts in the United States say similar guidance should be instituted because of the rise in STIs.
• They say increased testing can help stop the spread of STIs and raise awareness about safer sexual practices.

All sexually active people under age 30 should undergo regular screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.

That’s the recommendation published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported an increase in cases across the United States, making doctors wonder if the guidelines should be instituted in this country.

Dr. Ainsley Moore, a family physician and associate clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University in Ontario, as well as chair of a task force working group on chlamydia and gonorrhea, said reported rates in Canada are about 1 to 2 percent for chlamydia and 2 to 3 percent for gonorrhea.

But she told Healthline that the true numbers of those with STIs could be much higher. “Reported rates are far lower simply because the untested do not get reported,” she explained.

Her estimate of infection for those 15 to 29 years old is 5 to 7 percent.

With a rate going up since the early 2000s, Moore said, the task force felt it was time to take action.

Wider and regular testing, she said, would help reduce the spread and the consequences of that spread and help “normalize” discussion of testing for and treatment of STIs.

For women, she said, the issue is particularly concerning.

Women who have STIs – particularly if they go untreated for a lengthy period – can contract pelvic inflammatory disease, experience ectopic pregnancies, and even develop infertility.

For men, Moore said, the consequences are not as severe, but they also can be serious.

The most common long-term impact to men, she said, can be epididymitis, an inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle that carries sperm. The swelling can cause intense pain in the testicle.