PrEP Testing isn’t Comprehensive

PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a revolutionary development in HIV prevention, providing protection to HIV-negative individuals against contracting the virus when taken consistently. However, there’s a critical gap in understanding when it comes to STI testing for PrEP patients—a gap that could jeopardize both health and public awareness about the broader risks of sexually transmitted infections.

What Does PrEP Testing Involve?
Before starting PrEP, patients are required to undergo STI and HIV testing, which is then repeated quarterly. This ensures the medication is safe for their kidneys and monitors their HIV status. But here’s where the problem lies—most PrEP-related STI testing is far from comprehensive. These tests often meet the bare minimum requirements for prescribing PrEP, and they leave out numerous significant infections that could impact an individual’s health.

The Misconception Around STI Panels
Many patients assume that the routine STI testing provided by their healthcare provider gives them the full picture of their sexual health. Unfortunately, it rarely does.

The reality?

Most testing panels focus on HIV, and often treat other STIs as secondary concerns. Think about it—can you recall every single infection that was tested in your most recent STI panel? Most people can only confidently name HIV.

Yes, HIV is critically important, but so are other STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, mycoplasma genitalium, and trichomoniasis. These infections are not simply “less important.” They can affect your overall health, spread easily through sexual contact, and significantly increase the risk of contracting HIV.

Why Other STIs Matter
While most people associate HIV transmission with sex, it primarily spreads through blood-to-blood contact. This connection can occur during any kind of sexual activity but is most prevalent when tissue is fragile or prone to bleeding.

The danger increases when infections like trichomoniasis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma genitalium are present, as they can cause inflammation and make tissues more vulnerable.

Addressing these infections isn’t just about treating them; it’s also about breaking a harmful cycle that indirectly fosters HIV transmission.

Comprehensive testing plays a critical role here—yet so many STI panels fail to include these common and impactful infections.

What Makes Shameless Care Different?
At Shameless Care, we believe that people who take the time and effort to get STI testing deserve a complete picture of their sexual health. We don’t cut corners or leave out crucial tests. Instead, we offer just one panel—and it’s designed with your health and safety in mind. Our testing covers 13 different sexually transmitted infections, including mycoplasma genitalium, trichomoniasis, and throat swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia. These highly common and often overlooked infections form a significant portion of STI diagnoses, and they are critical to monitor regularly, especially for individuals on PrEP.

What Should You Do?
Understand that all these infections carry significant importance. While mycoplasma genitalium may not be a lifelong condition like HIV, it plays a role in increasing HIV transmission rates and is not something you’d want to carry or potentially spread to others. The same principle applies to all bacterial STIs.
If you are on PrEP do not assume that your mandatory STI testing is comprehensive – in fact, assume that it’s not.