A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many Americans have misconceptions on how STIs are spread and who should be treated.
The national poll of 1,005 people found over a third of Americans (34%) falsely believe STIs can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse. In reality, there are many ways STIs can spread such as by kissing or sharing needles and even during childbirth. The survey also found that one in five Americans (20%) believe they only need to be tested for STIs if they’re experiencing symptoms.
Congenital syphilis occurs when people pass syphilis to their babies during pregnancy, sometimes resulting in stillbirths or other life-threatening conditions. U.S. cases of congenital syphilis increased 180% from 2018-2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most effective way to prevent an STI is to use a condom and discuss STI testing with a doctor or sexual partner, said Stacey Biffle-Quimba, a family nurse practitioner who is program manager for sexual health and women’s health at Columbus Public Health in Ohio.
Vaccinations for HPV and hepatitis A/B are also effective, as well as the HIV medications for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP). This month the CDC finalized new guidelines for using the antibiotic pill doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) in certain groups at risk for STIs.
For some people, infections like HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV can develop without significant symptoms and may go undetected for long periods of time, resulting in serious health problems such as cancers of the anogenital tract, fertility issues, chronic pain and a compromised immune system.
This study was conducted on behalf of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted from April 5-7, 2024, among a sample of 1,005 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=975) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English. The margin of error for total respondents is +/- 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.
