Delays in sexual health care among patients attending New York City Sexual Health Clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020 to February 2021.

Background: Public health emergencies can lead to reduced or suspended services in sexual health clinics (SHCs), raising questions about optimal ways to maintain access to care. We examined changes in sexual behaviors, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, telehealth preference, and correlates of delayed sexual health care among patients attending New York City (NYC) publicly funded SHCs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: 470 patients from four SHCs (July-September 2021) completed a self-administered survey that collected data on access to sexual health care, overall and over three distinct time periods [Spring 2020 (COVID-19 wave 1), Summer 2020, Fall 2020/Winter 2021 (COVID-19 wave 2)].

Racial inequities in HIV incidence among men who have sex with men prior to and amidst an Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine trends in HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) relative to the scale up of Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiatives, including biomedical prevention strategies, and to describe racial inequities over time.

Design: A cross-sectional study, matching annual cohorts of New York City (NYC) Sexual Health Clinic (SHC) patients from 2010 to 2018 to the citywide HIV registry to identify seroconversions during 1 year of follow-up, through 2019.

Methods: We examined HIV incidence for each annual cohort of MSM using diagnoses within 1 year after last negative HIV test.

Health Care Provider Decisions to Initiate Oral HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis in New York City Public Sexual Health Clinics.

Background: Oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is safe and effective but underutilized. Health care providers' beliefs about PrEP and attitudes toward people who could benefit may affect PrEP access.

Methods: This mixed-methods study (2016-2018) was conducted in 8 New York City public sexual health clinics that implemented a PrEP program.

The Cost of Operating Sexual Health Clinics During the Ending the (HIV) Epidemic Initiative in New York City.

Background: As part of New York State's Ending the Epidemic (EtE) initiative, sexual health clinics (SHCs) in New York City invested in clinic enhancements and expanded their HIV-related services to increase access to HIV prevention interventions and treatment. The objective of this study was to estimate and describe the change in SHC operating costs related to clinic enhancements and expanded patient services implemented as part of the EtE initiative.

Methods: A comprehensive microcosting approach was used to collect retrospective cost information from SHCs, broken down by category and programmatic activity.

Brief Report: Use of Remnant Specimens to Assess Use of HIV PrEP Among Populations With Risk of HIV Infection: A Novel Approach.

Background: HIV-uninfected persons being evaluated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be good HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) candidates. We measured PrEP use in a sentinel STI patient population.

Design: Cross-sectional study, New York City Sexual Health Clinics (January 2019-June 2019).

Targeting Culture Criteria to Maximize Culture Positivity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 3 Sexual Health Clinic Settings.

Background: Although most gonorrhea (GC) cases in the United States are detected using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) using culture specimens is needed for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). We present data on NAATs and cultures collected before and during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstration project (Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea [SURRG]) to describe a process to define culture criteria for NG isolation for surveillance of NG with reduced susceptibility.

Methods: For sexually transmitted infection clinics in New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; and Milwaukee, WI, we calculated NAAT positivity by anatomic site in 2016 (pre-SURRG) across 3 groups: (1) sex partners of persons with GC, (2) patients with symptoms (e.

Initiating antiretroviral treatment for newly diagnosed HIV patients in sexual health clinics greatly improves timeliness of viral suppression.

Objective: The 'JumpstART' program in New York City (NYC) public Sexual Health Clinics (SHC) provides patients newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with antiretroviral medication (ART) (1-month supply) on day of diagnosis and active linkage to HIV care (LTC). We examined viral suppression (VS) among patients who did and did not receive JumpstART services.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

HIV Care and Viral Load Suppression After Sexual Health Clinic Visits by Out-of-Care HIV-Positive Persons.

Outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH) in New York City (NYC) remain suboptimal. To assess the potential role of the city's sexual health clinics (SHCs) in improving HIV outcomes and reducing HIV transmission, we examined HIV care status and its correlates among HIV-positive SHC patients in NYC. Clinic electronic medical records were merged with longitudinal NYC HIV surveillance data to identify HIV-positive patients and derive their retrospective and prospective HIV care status.

Frequency of Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Positivity Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Returning for a Test-of-Cure Visit 7 to 30 Days After Treatment of Laboratory-Confirmed Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection at 2 Public Sexual Health Clinics, New York City, 2013 to 2016.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015 Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines recommend that clinicians consider cephalosporin treatment failure in patients who deny interval sexual exposure and are nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) at least 7 days after adequate treatment. We evaluate the real-world implications of the interval the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for a NAAT test-of-cure (TOC), by ascertaining the frequency of NG NAAT positivity at different anatomic sites among men who have sex with men (MSM) at TOC 7 to 30 days after treatment.

Methods: We analyzed data from the medical records of MSM with laboratory-confirmed NG who were presumptively treated for NG during the period from June 2013 to April 2016 and returned for a TOC visit within 30 days.

Measuring Adolescent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Coverage: A Match of Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic and Immunization Registry Data.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended for adolescents. By the end of 2013, 64% of female and 40% of male New York City residents aged 13-18 years had received ≥1 HPV vaccine dose. Adolescents attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics are at high risk for HPV exposure and could benefit from vaccination.

Incidence and Predictors of HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Attending Public Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics, New York City, 2007-2012.

We examined five annual cohorts (2007-2011) of men who have sex with men (MSM) attending New York City STD clinics who had negative HIV-1 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) on the day of clinic visit. Annual HIV incidence was calculated using HIV diagnoses within 1 year of negative NAAT, determined by matching with the citywide HIV registry. Predictors (demographic; behavioral; bacterial STD from citywide STD registry match) of all new HIV diagnoses through 2012 were calculated from Cox proportional hazards models.