STI Prevention Priorities

About the STD 2022 - 2026 strategic plan

Vision

A society where people and communities are empowered to achieve sexual health and protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Mission

To maximize the impact of STI prevention through science, programs, and policy.

Priority populations

• Adolescents and young adults
• Men who have sex with men (MSM)
• Pregnant people
• Prevention systems
• Transgender individuals

Goals and objectives

GOAL 1. Prevent new STIs

1.1. Raise the visibility of sexual health, STIs, evidence-based screening guidelines, and support actionable conversations

1.2 Reduce syphilis among people of reproductive age to prevent cases of congenital syphilis

1.3 Reduce antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal (AR GC) infections domestically and internationally

GOAL 2. Improve the health of people by reducing poor health caused by STIs

2.1 Increase STI screening, treatment, management, and holistic care among all people, particularly priority populations

2.2 Expand workforce knowledge and experience, and healthcare systems capacity to implement quality STI prevention, screening, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment

2.3 Support training, and expanded staff capacity, including DIS in programs and settings that serve communities and populations disproportionately impacted by STIs

2.4 Optimize, expand use of, and improve the effectiveness of expedited partner therapy, STI partner services, and linkage to care

2.5 Monitor and advance the understanding of burden and trends of STIs and their sequelae

GOAL 3. Accelerate progress in STI research, prevention, and technology

3.1 Use translational, implementation, and communication science research to identify, evaluate, scale up, and promote best practices in STI prevention and treatment in diverse settings

3.2 Support the development and uptake of innovative STI diagnostics, prevention technologies, therapeutic agents, and other interventions for the prevention, identification, and treatment of STIs, including new and emerging disease threats

3.3 Support the development, assessment (or evaluation), and dissemination of innovative STI service delivery models in settings such as clinics, emergency departments, pharmacies, urgent care, correctional facilities, schools and school-based health centers, mental health programs, substance use disorder programs, retail clinics, and field and community settings

3.4 Promote and strengthen the use of innovative technologies and develop new mechanisms for accessing, analyzing, and disseminating data

3.5 Support research to better understand foundational STI biology and STI transmission dynamics

GOAL 4. Reduce STI-related health disparities and health inequities

4.1 Expand access to trauma-informed, stigma- and discrimination-free, culturally competent and linguistically appropriate STI prevention, care, and treatment services in communities disproportionately impacted by STIs

4.2 Support, monitor, evaluate, and disseminate programs and policies that reduce barriers to improve the delivery and receipt of services for communities and populations disproportionately impacted by STIs

4.3 Support development, assessment (or evaluation) and dissemination of interventions that address social and structural determinants of health (e.g., housing, transportation, food, racism, discrimination, education, job opportunities, etc.) and co-occurring conditions that impede access to STI services and exacerbate disparities

GOAL 5. Achieve integrated and coordinated efforts to address the STI epidemic

5.1 Maximize use of surveillance data

5.2 Expand accountability for STI prevention and control

5.3 Coordinate and align efforts to address the syndemic of HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and substance use disorders

5.4 Support health departments with technical assistance to address the STI epidemic

GOAL 6. Enhance and support an effective internal workforce

6.1 Work within DSTDP to increase professional development opportunities and retention

6.2 Work to improve morale, inclusiveness, and diversity of staff

Indicators of progress

DSTDP will track performance of its strategic plan's goals using a series of existing data-driven national-level indicators from the following initiatives:

• STI National Strategic Plan Progress Indicators
• Healthy People STI Objectives and Measures
• Congressional STI Performance Measures (found in CDC's Congressional Justifications)

These indicators aim to measure progress in:

• Increasing the proportion of sexually active female adolescents and young women who get screened for chlamydia.
• Reducing gonorrhea rates.
• Reducing syphilis rates.
• Reducing congenital syphilis.
• Increasing proportion of congenital syphilis cases averted.
• Reducing the proportion of adolescents and young adults with genital herpes.
• Reducing pelvic inflammatory disease in female adolescents and young women.
• Reducing disparities.

DSTDP reports annually to Congress and to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (HHS/OIDP) on these sets of STI-related indicators. Both the STI Plan and congressional indicators have annual targets to help track trends in performance and examine where course corrections are needed. Healthy People 2030 forecasts 10-year targets for its objectives out to year 2030. Data are provided for core objectives at least three time periods throughout the decade.

All indicators use the following existing data sources, which are based on national data:

• The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (HCUP NEDS).
• The Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).
• The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
• Marketscan, Thomson Reuters (Healthcare) Inc.
• STD Surveillance Network (SSuN).

These data sources generate regular and consistent data and allow for stratification by priority populations and regions to further assess disparities.