Highlights from the 2024 North Carolina Annual STI Update Conference

The North Carolina Annual STI Update was held on March 20, 2024, as fully remote for presenters and attendees for the fourth year in a row. Hosting it virtually allowed Northwest AHEC and partners to offer the longstanding and reputable continuing professional development activity to a larger audience. Northwest AHEC collaborates with the following organizations to plan and provide the activity: NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Epidemiology Section and Communicable Disease Branch; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Division of Infectious Diseases; Southeast STD/HIV Prevention Training Center; NC HIV Training and Education Center; and Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases.

The 2024 North Carolina Annual STI Update was the largest in terms of registrants and attendees that the activity has had since Northwest AHEC started managing the activity in 2013. This year there were 990 participants across several disciplines – Allied Health, Behavioral Health, Health Careers, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health. Within North Carolina, 97 out of 100 counties were represented. The activity expanded its reach outside of North Carolina to 24 other states/districts, including: Alabama, Arkansas, California, DC, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Topics covered this year included:

• Hepatitis C
• Methods to Decrease Barriers to STI Screening in Adolescents
• Mpox and Preventative STI Care in MSM
• State Public Health Lab Updates
• Supporting Comprehensive Women’s Health in STI Care
• Syphilis Visual Diagnosis and Management
• Updates - NC Local Public Health Providers