Genital herpes is common in the United States. More than 1 out of every 6 people aged 14 to 49 years have genital herpes.3
Genital herpes is caused by 2 types of viruses: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Oral herpes is usually caused by HSV-1 and can result in cold sores or fever blisters on or around the mouth. Oral herpes caused by HSV-1 can be spread from the mouth to the genitals through oral sex.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system. In the United States, people who have syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes often also have HIV, or are more likely to get HIV in the future.4
In 2018, men accounted for 30,691 (81%) of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the United States and dependent areas. Most (86%) new diagnoses among men were attributed to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.5
Today’s guidelines say that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV6
In order to increase detection of pharyngeal or rectal infections, strategies must evolve to include more extra-genital screening for higher-risk patients, including: 7
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. 79 million Americans, most in their late teens and early 20s, are infected with HPV.8
Most men who get HPV never develop symptoms and the infection usually goes away completely by itself. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer. Consider testing your male patients who exhibit anything unusual such as warts, or unusual growths, lumps, or sores on the penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a silent epidemic in the United States, where an estimated 2.4 million people are living with chronic hepatitis C.9
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention10,11:
Guidelines recommend HCV screening for12,13:
Mycoplasma genitalium is increasingly recognized as an important sexually transmitted infection (STI), with an estimated prevalence of 1% to 3% in the general population.14
High-risk populations may have a much higher prevalence (up to 24% among men and 16% among women), comparable to that of chlamydia.14
Mycoplasma genitalium infections may go unrecognized, either because infected individuals are asymptomatic or the symptoms are the same as those associated with other infections of the urogenital tract (eg, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis). Accurate identification of a patient’s Mycoplasma genitalium infection status is critical for effective patient treatment for reproductive disorders.
Gram stain and culture are not clinically feasible methods of detection for Mycoplasma genitalium due to the pathogen’s lack of cell wall18 and fastidious nature.15 NAATs are preferred for detecting Mycoplasma genitalium because this pathogen cannot be visualized under a microscope and is prohibitively difficult to culture.16
Components of panels can be ordered separately.
Test codes may vary by location. Please contact your local laboratory for more information.
a The CPT® codes provided are based on American Medical Association guidelines an are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payer being billed.
References:
The latest CDC Guidelines recommended considering universal screening with opt-out as part of routine care for all female patients ages 15 - 24.*
*Workowski KA, et al. MMWR. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1
With rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on the rise, assessing women who may be high-risk is more important than ever.
Listen to the experts as they discuss STI testing beyond Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrheae.
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