STD Leaders Condemn Dangerous Progression of Court Rulings on STI and Other Preventive Services 

National ruling on Braidwood Management vs. Becerra threatens the nation’s health 

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2023
Contact: Elizabeth Finley, efinley@ncsddc.org, 919-749-7309  

Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, a Texas judge issued a nationwide ruling overturning the Affordable Care Act’s coverage of preventive services, including routine screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, and further called into question the legality of the expert panel HHS relies on to determine which preventative services must be covered by insurance plans. Coverage of PrEP and prevention services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been integral to the nation’s efforts to end the epidemics of STIs and HIV. The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) responded to the ruling with the following statement:  

“Today’s ruling threatens the most powerful tools this nation has to fight the epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – guaranteed insurance coverage for basic preventive medical care. We cannot reduce the devastating impact of completely preventable infections like congenital syphilis if people cannot count on their insurance to help them pay for essential routine health services.  

“As our public health systems have buckled under the strain of rising disease rates and falling funding, we have grown increasingly reliant on the routine, privately funded health services that most people use to access services like standard syphilis testing during routine prenatal care or HIV tests in our yearly check-ups. This ruling rips out the backbone of the U.S. health care system, and risks the future health of every single American.”  

“STIs impact people of all walks of life and can have devastating consequences when left undetected and untreated. The overreach of one judge should not threaten the health and safety of hundreds of millions of lives. We are calling on the Biden administration to use its full weight to safeguard preventive services coverage for all Americans.”