Pediatric urgent care provider among first in the US to adopt

new point-of-care STI diagnostic device in adolescents and young adults

Visby Medical™, an innovative diagnostic company, has announced its agreement with Urgent Care for Children (UC4C) to offer the company’s new Sexual Health Click Test to patients for the detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in female patients 14 years of age and older. The device can detect chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, three of the most common and curable STIs, with about 97 percent or greater accuracy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people ages 15 and 24 account for almost half of the 26 million new sexually transmitted infections that occurred in the United States in 2018.

The test offers PCR in palm-sized dimensions and provides accurate results in 28 minutes, with no additional instrument or investment required. Patients provide a vaginal swab self-collected in privacy, and then receive results and proper treatment during the same visit, eliminating typical wait time. The test is being utilized at 11 UC4C locations including Birmingham, Mobile, Vestavia, Trussville, Tuscaloosa, Madison, Huntsville, and Daphne in Alabama; Memphis and Knoxville in Tennessee; and in New Orleans.

Prior to adoption of the Sexual Health Click Test, UC4C clinicians had to wait 24 to 48 hours after specimen collection to receive results, which commonly leads to patients being lost to follow-up. With the Visby device, patients can be tested, counseled, and treated during a single visit, all patients will receive the treatment they need, and none will be lost to follow-up.

“The Sexual Health Click Test is a game-changer because STIs can cause serious complications, and they require communication with patient partners who may or may not be symptomatic who also need to be treated,” said UC4C Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Allury Arora Lal. “With young patients, it’s critical to complete the full cycle from diagnosis to treatment, and to take the additional steps of explaining the entire process to them because we believe that empowering our patients with education and resources is extremely important. Young patients should not be afraid, anxious or nervous to utilize our services for something as confidential as STI testing.”

Knowledge is vital to the prevention and treatment of STIs. With highly accurate results, the Sexual Health Click Test reduces unnecessary over- and under-treatment and accelerates time to receive treatment, therefore decreasing the possibility of transmission and complications due to lack of, or improper, treatment. Immediate results during the patient visit also offer the opportunity to educate patients about STI prevention and risk reduction.

“STI rates are increasing at an alarming rate in the U.S., and there is an urgent need to deliver quick and accurate results directly at the point of care,” said infectious disease expert Gary Schoolnik, MD, chief medical officer at Visby Medical, and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. “We are proud to support Urgent Care for Children in their efforts to address patients in need with accurate diagnostic results and proper treatment during that single visit.”