The World Health Organisation has estimated that 374 million curable new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur each year. The majority of these infections occur in the developing world and affect individuals of all ages. However, adolescents and young people are disproportionately affected contributing adversely to sexual, reproductive, and maternal child health.
Historically, STI services and research has focused on facilitating and improving STI diagnostics, which has led to an increase in the diagnosis of STIs and subsequently improving our understanding of STI epidemiology. Despite this, with a lack of knowledge and information on STIs, and with no ideal models of STI service delivery, sexual spread of STIs is further exacerbated by self or perceived stigma through a combination of sociological and psychological factors. Furthermore, future research into STI services and public engagement, an area currently relatively less well studied, is critical to enable awareness and recognition of STIs and STI prevention, to facilitate access to STI-related care and services, and to understand barriers to care services for STIs.
Models of STI service delivery, the stigma associated with STIs, and how to engage the public to improve services are still in the early stages of research, but nevertheless, begin to provide an understanding on reducing stigma, and improving STI-related health seeking behaviors and service delivery.
This Frontiers in Reproductive Health Research Topic ‘STI Services and Public Engagement’ is one of two Research Topics which aim to improve education and increase awareness of STIs and STI prevention, and provide a platform to give more people the confidence to take the steps needed for good sexual health.
This topic will explore and bring together innovative research focusing on the following areas:
• Public knowledge and awareness of STIs, including the seriousness of STIs
• Barriers and facilitators of STI related care-seeking behaviors and STI services
• Effective methods for the screening of STIs
• Effective STI related service delivery models
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of STI related services
• Models of public engagement to improve awareness of STIs and reduce the stigma associated with STIs and STI care.
You can view the second STI Awareness Day topic 'Diagnosis and Control of STIs in LMICs'
here.