Physicians’ STD Diagnosis and Screening Practices in the South

Objectives: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain at high levels in the South compared with the rest of the nation. Physician diagnosis levels and screening behaviors fall among the elements about which more knowledge is needed to address these high levels. This article assesses Southern physicians’ STD diagnosis histories and screening behaviors, focusing on curable STDs. Methods: The sample included 1,306 physicians practicing in 13 Southern states and in the District of Columbia. These physicians formed part of a larger survey (n = 4,233) and answered questions concerning STD diagnosis history and screening behaviors. Analyses focus on chlamydial infection and gonorrhea individually, as well as composite statistics for gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease, trichomoniasis, and nongonococcal urethritis. Results: Approximately 80% of physicians had diagnosed a curable STD, and 56% screened for any STD. The most common diagnosis techniques were culture and DNA probe. Several variables were individually associated with screening and diagnostic methods. Being female, African-American, or an obstetrician/gynecologist were associated with increased likelihood to screen for STDs in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Southern physicians were less likely to screen for STDs than their counterparts in other areas of the United States, although they were more likely to have diagnosed STDs. Results suggest that some targeted and evaluated screening practices may be useful in this area of the country.