A new “opt-out” approach to sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) has led to the early treatment of 170 pregnant women infected with trichomoniasis—a common but often overlooked STI that can increase the risk of premature birth and low birth weight.
Between November 2024 and February 2025, PPOSBC screened 46,140 patients across its nine health centers, uncovering 916 positive cases of trichomoniasis—nearly 2 percent of those tested. According to PPOSBC, 20 percent of those infected were pregnant women, most of whom showed no symptoms.
“Untreated, trichomoniasis has a potential link to premature birth and low-birth weight,” said Dr. Shayne Poulin, MD, a PPOSBC physician based in San Bernardino. “There’s a wide variety of things that can happen when babies are born prematurely—like underdevelopment of the lungs. But by detecting these infections early, we’re giving babies a better chance at being born healthy.”…