The Cribsiders S7 Ep161: Swab Goals: STI screening and management in adolescents
Dec 3, 2025
Dr. Elena Galindo, an adolescent medicine physician and expert in sexual and reproductive health, shares her insights on creating safe, inclusive spaces for discussing sexual health with teens. She emphasizes the importance of routine STI screening and highlights disparities in care. Elena breaks down various testing methods, discusses the significance of confidential communication, and offers practical advice on counseling adolescents. She also addresses the role of enthusiastic consent and urges normalizing conversations about sexual health.
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Disparities Stem From Structural Factors
- STI disparities reflect structural racism, access to care, and education, not individual blame.
- Ask genders of partners rather than sexual orientation to tailor accurate risk assessment and testing.
Routine STI Screening For Teens
- Screen sexually active adolescents under 25 yearly for gonorrhea and chlamydia and screen all teens for HIV at least once between 16–18 years.
- Ask genders of partners and test appropriate anatomic sites (vaginal, rectal, oral) based on sexual activity.
Pick The Right Test For The Right Site
- Use swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing from any site involved in sex; urine is acceptable for screening in males.
- Emphasize to patients whether testing was blood (HIV, syphilis) or swab/urine so they understand what was checked.