This week is Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Week, a week set aside to educate and raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, and how they impact our lives. It is also a time to work towards reducing STI-related stigma, fear, and discrimination and a time to ensure people have the tools and knowledge for prevention, testing, and treatment.
The CDC estimates that about 20 percent of the U.S. population – one in five people – had an STI on any given day in 2018. Left undiagnosed or untreated, many STIs can lead to serious health problems and permanent damage, both in the short and long term. ID and primary care providers are on the frontlines of this crisis, and we would like to take this opportunity to recognize their work in identifying, diagnosing, and treating STIs- as early diagnosis and treatment is key to preventing associated complications.
For more information and resources about STIs, see the CDC’s page on general resources for STI Awareness Week 2024 here, including resources designed for clinicians to help improve communication about and treatment of STIs.