Risk Factors for Sexually Transmitted Infections

Overview

Risk factors for sexually transmitted infections are the behaviors, biological characteristics, and social circumstances that increase a person's likelihood of acquiring or transmitting infections passed through sexual contact, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, herpes, and human papillomavirus. Recognized behavioral risk factors include unprotected sexual intercourse, multiple or concurrent sexual partners, inconsistent condom use, early age at first sexual activity, and limited knowledge of a partner's sexual history or infection status. Biological and clinical factors, including the presence of another sexually transmitted infection, immune impairment such as that from HIV, and certain mucosal conditions, can further raise susceptibility. Social and structural determinants, such as limited access to testing and care, stigma, substance use, and gaps in education and prevention services, also shape risk at the population level. Understanding these risk factors is central to prevention, guiding strategies including education, condom promotion, screening, vaccination, and timely treatment. Research relevant to this topic, within the scope of the International Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, includes studies of infection prevalence and epidemiology, assessments of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices among students, and analyses of syphilis and associated comorbidities, all of which inform understanding of who is at risk and why. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to the risk factors for sexually transmitted infections.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

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