HIV and Syphilis Screening for Adolescents with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Of the 1 million annual cases of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), approximately 20% are estimated to occur in adolescents. Because those diagnosed with PID are known to have excess risk for HIV and syphilis, screening for these infections is recommended.

To determine rates of HIV and syphilis screening in adolescents with PID, investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of 10,698 females aged 12 to 21 years (mean age, 16.7 years) in the national Pediatric Health Information System who were diagnosed with PID in the emergency departments of children's hospitals between 2010 and 2015; 54% were non-Hispanic African American, 25% were white, and 14% were Hispanic.

Of these patients, 22% were screened for HIV infection, 28% were screene…