What about STIs?

Very little has been said in the healthcare debate about STI management and how that will be impacted by government-based coverage. Miriam’s recent post on Pap smear guidelines noted that health providers recommend that women should get their cervical cancer screenings every other year instead of every year. Any sexual health educator will tell you that for many women these screenings are the gateway to other STI testing. Thus, this whole pap smear change could have some consequences on STIs.
It is only logical to expect a decrease in STI screenings under these new guidelines and a resulting increase in STIs. This is a cause for concern considering that STI’s are on the rise. Another thing that might be a consequence of organizations such as ACOG relaxing their pap smear standards is decreased insurance coverage. Insurance providers often base what they will cover on what is medically necessary. Therefore, it is difficult for me to believe that insurance companies would go on providing coverage for annual testing for STIs when physicians have come out in favor of bi-annual cervical cancer screenings.

This particularly makes me crazy because I believe that people should get tested before sexual activity that involves genital-to-genital contact or fluid swapping of the genital variety. I know this perspective is a loogie in the face to the cost-benefit approach that often dictates sexual health guidelines. It is true that men don’t have available tests for HPV and the currently available Herpes test has been known by some to be as accurate as flipping a coin. However, STI testing is the most effective way for informed consent when engaging in sexual activity with a new partner, because there are tons of other STIs. And if you know your bad-ass partner has an STI, you can come up with ways to protect yourself that decrease your risk of transmission. Perhaps the bigger problem exists in the lack of contributions to innovative sexual technology. Condoms pretty much have a monopoly over sexual protection. Yet, in the case of Herpes and HPV, a condom simply increases one’s protection but doesn’t protect one from the transmission risk in genital to genital contact.
It seems that the business sector and healthcare provider-based policies have forgotten about STIs. But the gaps that need to be filled bring these questions to mind : What are your sexual politics on the matter of STI testing? Do you believe getting tested before activity with every partner is in the best interest of your sexual health? Also, what kind of product would you use to help decrease your risk of STI transmission besides a condom or dental dam?