Implementing a self-administered electronic questionnaire for sexual history intake focusing on organ contact significantly increased both testing frequency and CT and GC diagnoses compared to the preceding four years of conventional verbal intake.
Key Findings
Results
Implementing a self-administered electronic sexual health questionnaire significantly increased the frequency of chlamydia and gonorrhea testing compared to previous years.
The study was conducted at a university health center.
The electronic questionnaire focused on organ contact rather than conventional verbal intake methods.
Testing data during the implementation period was compared with data from the preceding four years.
Both the number and diversity (types) of CT and GC tests ordered increased after implementation.
Results
CT and GC diagnosis rates increased after initiation of the new electronic sexual history intake method.
The study tracked diagnosis rates for chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (GC) specifically.
The increase in diagnoses was observed in conjunction with the increase in testing frequency.
The comparison baseline was four years of data collected using conventional verbal intake methods.
The authors describe the increase in both testing and diagnoses as 'significant.'
Results
The electronic questionnaire approach increased the diversity of STI screening tests ordered, suggesting broader anatomical site testing.
The questionnaire was focused on organ contact, which differs from traditional verbal sexual history approaches.
Both the number and types of CT and GC tests ordered were analyzed as outcome measures.
A focus on organ contact may prompt clinicians to order site-specific tests (e.g., rectal, pharyngeal) that might be missed in standard verbal intake.
The study design was comparative, set in a university health center population.
Conclusions
Self-administered electronic sexual history intake focusing on organ contact may enhance STI screening strategies and improve diagnostic yield for CT and GC infections.
The authors conclude this method may optimize sexual history intake for effective STI screening and diagnosis.
The study population was a university health center, suggesting applicability to college-aged populations.
The conventional verbal intake method served as the comparison condition over the preceding four years.
The authors frame the findings as supporting a change in intake methodology to improve STI detection.
What This Means
This research suggests that replacing traditional face-to-face verbal sexual history questions with a self-administered electronic questionnaire—one that specifically asks patients about which body parts (organs) came into contact during sexual activity—led to meaningful improvements in STI testing and detection at a university health clinic. After the new questionnaire was introduced, clinicians ordered more chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, tested a greater variety of body sites, and diagnosed more infections compared to the four years prior when the old verbal method was used.
The likely reason for this improvement is that people may feel more comfortable disclosing sensitive sexual behaviors when answering questions on a screen rather than speaking directly to a healthcare provider. By capturing more complete information about the types of sexual contact a patient has had, the questionnaire helps clinicians know which body sites to test—for example, the throat or rectum in addition to the genitals—which are often missed under standard screening approaches.
This research suggests that updating how sexual history is collected in college health settings could be a practical and low-cost way to find more STI cases that would otherwise go undetected and untreated. The approach may be particularly relevant for university health centers serving young adults, a population with elevated STI rates.
Maany V, Strauss J, Rieger R, Pheysey K, Heagey P. (2025). The impact of implementing a self-administered electronic sexual health questionnaire on STI testing and diagnosis rates.. Journal of American college health : J of ACH. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2025.2461600