STI rates ‘at their highest numbers’ in US as COVID dominates health funding according to the Guardian this week. As funding from many branches of healthcare is diverted to COVID these areas suffer. STIs/STDs are one such area.
read that article here.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/24/us-sti-rates-covid-sexually-transmitted-infections-funding
Low testing rates due to poor access to testing centers is one cause. Rapid testing is one solution where users do not rely on a testing clinic or a blood lab to get results. Results are available to the user within minutes of taking the test, much like a home pregnancy test. Easy to detect and easy to treat STIs like Chlamydia and Syphilis can lead to serious health problems if left unresolved. More testing is clearly the solution here and more access to self-testing is a very useful tool during COVID times.