March 18, 2016 – STD Quiz

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Anchor lead:  Can a very simple quiz assess sexually transmitted infection risk? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Sexually transmitted infections are rampant, and new organisms capable of causing them are being identified by federal agencies.  Charlotte Gaydos, a sexually transmitted diseases expert at Johns Hopkins, says getting a handle on this problem starts first with simple screening.

Gaydos: We would like to have some sort of a quiz that teenagers and young adults can look at and say, I am not at risk for having a sexually transmitted disease, or hey, I am at high risk for having an STD. So we worked on getting together a few simple questions that could be used potentially to predict risk.  :21

Gaydos and colleagues have developed and validated an online tool.

Gaydos: The questions are based on demographics. Are you 25 years of age or less, do you use condoms? Do you have more than one partner at a time and have you ever had an STD before?  :12

A total of six questions are asked and can calculate someone’s risk of having an STI.  Gaydos says then actual testing can be provided and treatment given based on results.  At Johns Hopkins, I'm Elizabeth Tracey.