Clinical Chats: a Podcast for Sexual and Reproductive Health Professionals · Clinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health

Conducting an HIV Risk Assessment in Family Planning Settings

·45 min·3 clips

He says PrEP is “for everyone,” including people who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

Clinical Chats opens with a direct clinical question about HIV risk assessment in family planning settings. Brandon Misrock explains the difference between assessing risk and performing an HIV test. He places that work inside everyday sexual and reproductive health care in Title X settings. The conversation connects to the larger goal of improving access to HIV-related services for clinicians and staff. Misrock makes clear that risk assessment is about understanding exposure, not replacing testing. He treats it as a way to gather the information needed to choose the right next step. The interview moves from the system level into what a clinician actually asks a patient. Partner genders come up as one part of understanding exposure pathways. Monogamy is another. If a patient is not monogamous, the same questions may need to be asked about partners' partners. The episode also treats sexual behavior as clinically relevant, not incidental. Oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex are all named directly. Misrock distinguishes receptive and insertive roles as part of exposure history. That detail matters when a clinician is thinking about what type of testing may be indicated. He argues for three-site testing in STI workups. The reasoning is that exposure can involve more than one anatomical site, especially when patients have oral, vaginal, or anal sex. The interview keeps coming back to the practical realities of modern relationships. It treats complexity as normal rather than exceptional. The tone stays measured and procedural throughout. Warmth comes through in the emphasis on better questions, broader access, and patient-centered care. The episode works as a clinical guide for clinicians who need to screen carefully and understand when more complete testing may be needed. It is less about theory than about making the clinical conversation more complete.

As heard by us

A practical clinical walk-through of HIV risk assessment that stays focused on real-world reproductive care.

The episode keeps HIV risk assessment grounded in day-to-day family planning care: who may be exposed, which questions matter, and how screening fits into practice.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a clearer way to ask about HIV risk in family planning visits without guessing.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Clinical Chats: a Podcast for Sexual and Reproductive Health Professionals