(P43) Lasting STI testing site closures and innovations from the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Midwestern City

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the accessibility of health services, including sexual healthcare. Many sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment sites modified services (e.g. reduced hours, limited walk-in availability, decreased testing capacity) perhaps leading to permanent change in STI service availability. At the same time, many healthcare providers were driven to innovate in ways that may benefit their patients during the pandemic. This study aims to describe how COVID-19 changed STI clinical services, with a focus on long-term impacts.

Methods: A 5-10 minute phone survey was designed to assess services for STIs at the 105 STI testing and treatment providers in the St. Louis, USA Metropolitan Statistical Area. STI testing providers included STI clinics, primary care clinics that cater to a broad population, and community-based organizations, and excluded emergency departments and stand-alone urgent care centers. In most cases, the survey was completed by a clinic manager, medical director, or member of the nursing staff.

Results: Of the 75 locations that were reached, 12 (16%) had not returned to pre-pandemic operations as of July 2022. Five sites had shut completely since the pandemic began, three of which were in one rural region of St. Louis. Of the open clinics, 41 (58.6%) added telehealth appointments, removing barriers to accessing care and indicating one positive lasting effect. When prompted to voice their needs for future pandemic/disruption preparedness, the most recurrent need was funding, mentioned by 35 (50%) of the clinics that had remained open. 30 (42.9%) of these clinics reported needing more or enough staff to support their operations, 10 (14.3%) expressed a need for testing kits, and 9 (12.9%) would need more space to continue operations.

Conclusions: Resources should be allocated to support sexual health infrastructure, such as telehealth and at-home testing. Furthermore, maintaining updated information on STI care providers regionally is essential for future direction.