USPSTF Recommends STI Counseling for Sexually Active Adolescents and At-Risk Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) periodically releases new and updated guidelines. It grades each recommendation according to a system described on the USPSTF website.

In 1996, when the USPSTF published its first recommendation on advising adolescents and adults about risk factors for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), efficacy of risk-reduction counseling in primary care settings had not been evaluated fully. Now, the USPSTF recommends high-intensity behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and adults at excess risk for STIs. Recommendation: B (The USPSTF recommends the service.) The task force also has concluded that evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of behavioral cou…