Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
The majority of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are caused by bacteria or parasites.
Last updated on 12 March 2024
In brief
The majority of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are caused by bacteria or parasites (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, syphilis) or viruses (genital herpes, human papillomavirus or HPV, hepatitis B and HIV).
Every year, 374 million people are infected with a bacterial or parasitic STI, which is possible to cure, unlike viral STIs. Nevertheless, they all represent a risk to sexual and reproductive health (cancer, sterility, impact on pregnancy and newborns, increased risk of contracting HIV, etc.). Research is focused not just on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and resistance to treatment, and the development of vaccines, but also on non-medical interventions. These include information on risky practices (chemsex, non-use of condoms, etc.) and facilitating access to screening and care. Our agency supports the WHO global strategy to end STI epidemics by 2030.
Publications
- Molina JM, et al. Daily and on-demand HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil (ANRS PREVENIR): a prospective observational cohort study. Lancet HIV 2022
- Becquet V, et al. A community-based healthcare package combining testing and prevention tools, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), immediate HIV treatment, management of hepatitis B virus, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), targeting female sex workers (FSWs) in Côte d’Ivoire: the ANRS 12381 PRINCESSE project. BMC Public Health. 2021.
- Ravalihasy A, et al. Development and Validation of an HIV/AIDS Empowerment Scale for Impact Intervention Evaluation. An Example from the MAKASI Intervention. American Journal of Health Education, 2021.