STI Prevention

Prevention

Reduce STI exposure risk

• Reduce number of sex partners.
• Avoid high-risk behaviours: anal sex; sex under the influence of alcohol/drugs; genital trauma.
• Promote condoms: emphasise consistent and correct use during all sexual activity (penile-vaginal, oral, anal).

Encourage regular testing

• Most STIs are asymptomatic: Chlamydia (66% of men, 85% of women), Gonorrhoea (50% of men, 65% of women), Syphilis (60–70% of new infections) — all go unnoticed.
• STIs are several hundred times more easily transmitted than HIV.
• Asymptomatic STI patients can transmit to others.

Ensure complete treatment

• Stress completing the full course of prescribed medication to avoid recurrence and antibiotic resistance.
• Complete partner treatment is needed to avert re-infection (ping-pong effect).
• Do not resume condomless sex before all partners have completed STI treatment.

Other interventions

• Promote HPV and hepatitis B vaccination.
• Promote VMMC for all non-circumcised men with an STI, or treated as partners of an STI index patient.
• Offer PrEP for HIV prevention and PEP for recent potential HIV exposure.
• Integrate STI services into HIV and sexual and reproductive health services to improve access and reduce stigma.