Today's Adolescent STI Explosion. Is sexual health education a right or a "divisive concept"?

Monday, April 28, 2025

2:00pm – 3:30pm HST

Location: Convention Center: 315

CE: CME: 1.5
Ethics CME: 1.5

Selected By: PIDS Indepedent Selection
Co-sponsored By: SAHM

Chair(s)

Claudette Poole, MD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
UAB
Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Disclosure(s):

Claudette Poole, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Addressing sexual and reproductive health are essential components of providing comprehensive adolescent healthcare. Most adolescents can not access fellowship trained adolescent medicine physicians, leaving primary care providers accountable for this AAP recommended care. Rates of sexually transmitted infections in US adolescents are skyrocketing. Adolescents now comprise the second highest incidence for new HIV diagnoses. School based sexual health education is tightly restricted in many states, while access to gender-affirming care and the full scope of reproductive services remain banned in over 20. Less than 3% of pediatric practices offer universal opt-out HIV testing, despite long-standing CDC and AAP recommendations. PrEP for HIV prevention is very under-prescribed for adolescents who could benefit. The diverse panelist , specialists in infectious disease, HIV, adolescent health, and gender-affirming care will address: 1. How to discuss sexual health, reproductive health and gender-affirming care in states with restrictive environments. 2. How to talk to parents / guardians. 3. How to find supportive adults if the parent/ guardian is not. 4. Are there "safe" states for gender affirming care / abortion services, what are potential legal ramifications for referring out of state. 5. How to implement universal opt-out HIV testing for adolescents as recommended by the AAP in your setting. 6. How to prescribe PrEP

Learning Objectives:

confidently discuss sexual, reproductive health and gender-affirming care with their adolescent patients.
confidently discuss sexual, reproductive health and gender affirming care with patient's parents / guardians or how to identify other supportive adults.
implement universal opt-out HIV testing in their practice as well as prescribe PrEP for eligible adolescent patients

Presentations:

2:00pm – 2:10pm HST

Introduction
Speaker: Claudette Poole, MD (she/her/hers) – UAB
2:10pm – 2:25pm HST

Adolescent Sexual Health and HIV Prevention Beyond the Use of Condoms
Speaker: Claudette Poole, MD (she/her/hers) – UAB
2:25pm – 2:40pm HST

How to Address Age-appropriate Sexual Health in General Pediatric Practice & Legal Concerns with Family Planning Services
Speaker: Samantha V. Hill, MD, MPH, FAAP (she/her/hers) – Emory University School of Medicine
2:40pm – 2:55pm HST

Best Practice Care for Gender Dysphoric Youth and How to Access That Care
Speaker: Morissa Ladinsky, MD (she/her/hers) – Stanford University School of Medicine and Child Health
2:55pm – 3:10pm HST

Standardizing Sexual Health and HIV Screening in Non-outpatient Settings
Speaker: Lauren Middlebrooks, MD – Emory University School of Medicine
3:10pm – 3:30pm HST

Panel Discussion and Q & A
Speaker: Samantha V. Hill, MD, MPH, FAAP (she/her/hers) – Emory University School of Medicine
Speaker: Morissa Ladinsky, MD (she/her/hers) – Stanford University School of Medicine and Child Health
Speaker: Lauren Middlebrooks, MD – Emory University School of Medicine
Speaker: Claudette Poole, MD (she/her/hers) – UAB