Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41860656›Full record

ArticleInfection2026

No symptoms, no problem? an analysis of asymptomatic and symptomatic sexually transmitted infections and the impact on clinical outcomes in a student-run free clinic.

Gabriel Alexander Lee, Yuehe Wang, Isabella Gluzman, Gunnar Meyer, Hayley Dunlop, Frances Trezza, Nisha Makkar, Bella Donnelly, Nathan Helsabeck, Courtney DuBois Shihabuddin

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Gabriel Alexander LeeCollege of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. Gabriel.Lee@osumc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4073-3578
Yuehe WangCollege of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-8933-9133
Isabella GluzmanKirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO, USA.
Gunnar MeyerUniversity of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-3920-7390
Hayley DunlopDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2097-8893
Frances TrezzaThe Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Nisha MakkarThe Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Bella DonnellyThe Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Nathan HelsabeckCollege of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6883-9684
Courtney DuBois ShihabuddinCollege of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8353-6430

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a major global public health concern, disproportionately affecting uninsured and underserved populations. Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) play a vital role in addressing disparities in STI screening and treatment; however, data describing infection patterns and symptom-based testing outcomes in these settings are limited.

methodsThis IRB-approved retrospective review analyzed 296 patient records from a SRFC between October 2019 and November 2023. Patients who underwent testing for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) were included. Patients were categorized as symptomatic or asymptomatic at the time of testing. Demographic data were collected when available.

resultsPositivity rates were 19.6% for HPV, 7.1% for chlamydia, 7.1% for syphilis, 4.1% for gonorrhea, and 0.5% for HIV. Roughly half of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections occurred in asymptomatic patients. Symptomatic presentation was not significantly associated with positive and negative results. Assigned male at birth (AMAB) patients and younger individuals had higher odds of gonorrhea, while older AMAB patients had higher odds of syphilis.

conclusionsA substantial proportion of STIs, particularly gonorrhea and chlamydia, occurred in asymptomatic individuals, underscoring the limitations of symptom-based screening. Expanding access to asymptomatic STI testing in SRFCs is essential to reduce missed diagnoses, improve equity, and mitigate long-term sequelae among underserved populations.

Indexed as

Sexually Transmitted DiseasesStudent Run ClinicAdolescentAdultFemaleGonorrheaHumansMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultAsymptomatic screeningHealth disparitiesSexually transmitted infectionsStudent-run free clinicUnderserved populations

Identifiers

PMID41860656
PMCPMC13323260

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.