A group of health experts has released updated guidelines for healthcare providers about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These guidelines give doctors and nurses the latest recommendations on how to test for, diagnose, and treat various STIs. They are based on a review of existing medical evidence and expert opinion.
The guidelines do not report on a specific new study with patients. Instead, they compile what is currently known from many sources to create standard recommendations for care. This means we don't have details about how many people were involved in the research behind these guidelines or exactly how the recommendations were developed.
Because these are guidelines and not a new research study, we don't have information about side effects or safety concerns from specific treatments. The main reason to be careful is that guidelines are general recommendations—your personal healthcare needs might be different.
Readers should realistically understand that these are updated professional recommendations for doctors. If you have questions about STI testing or treatment, the best step is to talk with your own healthcare provider about what is right for your specific situation.
