Resources for STI Awareness Week: April 9-15, 2023

STI Awareness Week, observed April 9-15 this year, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and how they impact peoples’ lives. Raising awareness may also help reduce the stigma, fear, and discrimination surrounding these conditions. Additionally, a goal of the observance is to ensure that people have the tools, knowledge, and resources for STI prevention, testing, and treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, as of 2021, more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States. Many of these infections go undetected because they often have no recognizable symptoms. If left untreated, some of these infections can have serious health consequences and severe, adverse effects including, but not limited to, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and increased HIV transmission. Thus, proven STI prevention and treatment are essential for protecting America’s health and wellness. This STI Awareness Week, join HIV.gov in raising awareness about STI prevention and treatment using the resources below.

2021 STD Surveillance Report

This week, CDC released the 2021 STD Surveillance Report . The annual report shows STIs continued to increase, compromising the nation’s health. The report also shows that some groups, including racial/ethnic and sexual minority populations, are disproportionately affected. Despite the increase in STIs across the United States, we can reverse STI trends by moving forward with a new approach that employs holistic, coordinated care to address concurrent epidemics and health disparities.

CDC Campaign Toolkit

The toolkit provides resources from the three campaigns below to share with your community about the importance of STI prevention and testing. Additionally, it serves as a guide to help users understand the theme of each campaign, the primary audiences, and aligned materials.

GYT: Get Yourself Tested

The GYT campaign targets youth and encourages young people to get tested and treated for STIs. The campaign offers streamlined materials to help focus efforts on STI awareness, prevention, testing, and treatment among young people.

Prepare Before You’re There

This campaign targets the general public and focuses on STI education, awareness, prevention, and communication. It encourages people to be knowledgeable about what puts them at risk for STIs and to make an intentional prevention plan before “the heat of the moment” happens.

Talk. Test. Treat.

The general public and healthcare providers are the target audiences of this campaign, which focuses on STI communication, testing, and treatment. It reinforces that all STIs are preventable and treatable, and most are curable and encourages taking three simple actions—Talk. Test. Treat.—for the audience to protect their health, the health of their partners, and that of providers‘ patients.

STI National Strategic Plan

Led by the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, the first-ever STI National Strategic Plan provides a roadmap toward a nation where STIs are prevented and where every person has high-quality STI prevention, care, and treatment while living free from stigma and discrimination. Learn more about the Plan here.

We encourage individuals, healthcare providers, federal and non-federal agencies, and others to choose a campaign, plan activities, and join HIV.gov in spreading awareness about STIs. Together, we can break down the barriers created by fear, stigma, and discrimination this STI Awareness Week and throughout the year.