Testing for diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea plummeted in many parts of the U.S. last year as COVID-19 sapped away resources and staff. That's led to cutbacks in services to find and fight infections that can often spread will little or no immediate symptoms. “But anything else we just couldn’t do it,” said Daltry, noting they did not track diseases like gonorrhea. Annual testing for common infections is recommended for high-risk groups, including women under 25 and gay and bisexual men. Among 130 STD screening sites in the St. Louis region, testing is still at about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels, according to figures compiled by Reno.

Source: ABC News April 07, 2021 14:48 UTC