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Abstract

The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has continued to rise over recent decades with around 450 000 STIs diagnosed in England in 2013. Primary care is one of the key points of delivery of sexual health care and general practice is ideally positioned to offer STI screening and management. Groups who are at greater risk of STIs include young people, men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers. The factors affecting STI risk can include higher baseline prevalence of STIs among a particular group of the population, certain behavioural factors, and problems accessing sexual health services. It is important for primary care doctors to be aware of these risk factors and to be competent in screening for STIs. This article deals specifically with screening for STIs in high-risk groups.

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Screening for sexually transmitted infections in high-risk groups

Abstract

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