What's New in Sexually Transmitted Infection Management: Changes in the 2010 Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Screening, treatment, and follow-up of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are an important part of the role of women's health care providers. Keeping abreast of new and changing treatment guidelines is crucial to providing competent care. The Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, produced every 4 years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, summarize current evidence on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of STIs. The purpose of this article is to review the changes in the 2010 guidelines from the previous 2006 guidelines. These changes include new diagnostic tests for bacterial vaginosis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and human papillomavirus; new treatment recommendations for bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhea, and genital warts; the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant N gonorrhoeae; new criteria for spinal fluid examination to evaluate for neurosyphilis; and the emergence of azithromycin-resistant Treponema pallidum.