USPSTF Recommends Counseling to Prevent STIs in Sexually Active Adolescents and At-Risk Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) periodically releases new and updated guidelines. It grades each of its recommendations according to a system described on the USPSTF Web site.

In 1996, the USPSTF recommended advising adolescents and adults about risk factors for sexually transmitted infections (STIs); at that time, efficacy of risk-reduction counseling in the primary care setting had not been evaluated fully. Now, the USPSTF recommends high-intensity behavioral counseling to prevent STIs 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 the evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of…