WHO has released new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) guidance and policy implementation data, ahead of the STI & HIV 2025 World Congress in Montreal, 26–30 July 2025.
The 2 new components of the upcoming consolidated guidelines on STI prevention and care include the Guidelines for the management of asymptomatic STIs , and the Recommendations on the delivery of health services for STI prevention and care .
These evidence-based guidelines aim to strengthen STI prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment, especially in high-burden, resource-limited settings. They complement existing guidance covering syndromic management , management of specific STIs: such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis , trichomoniasis, genital candidiasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, human papillomavirus (anogenital warts) and bacterial vaginosis , syphilis testing, partner services .
Key new recommendations include targeted screening for gonorrhoea and chlamydia in high-prevalence settings with available resources, focusing on pregnant women, adolescents and young people aged 10–24, sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM) .
Screening should align with individual risk and resource considerations, with at least annual or 6-monthly screening recommended for sex workers and MSM.
Service delivery improvements include decentralizing and integrating STI services, task sharing with trained providers and community health workers, and leveraging digital tools to complement in-person care.
Together with existing guidance, these new components will form part of the forthcoming WHO consolidated guidelines on STI prevention and care.
"These new recommendations aim to close persistent policy and service gaps, especially for asymptomatic STIs, and help countries move faster toward the 2030 goals," said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO's Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.
WHO reports mixed progress on adopting and implementing WHO policy in countries
As part of its continued efforts to strengthen global STI responses, WHO has released new data highlighting both progress and persistent challenges in national policy implementation.
Among countries reporting to Global AIDS Monitoring in 2024–2025, 89% have a national STI strategy or action plan in place – yet only 43% have updated it since 2023. Similarly, while 97% of countries report having national case management guidelines, only half of them have revised them since 2020.
Gonococcal resistance monitoring remains limited, with just 37% of countries conducting routine surveillance. Encouragingly, 95 countries have integrated dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests into their national policy – nearly half of these countries adopted them for both pregnant women and key populations.
National plans to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis are in place in 72% of reporting countries. As of 1 July 2025, 147 Member States (76%) have included human papillomaviruses (HPV) vaccine – critical to preventing cervical cancer – in their national immunization schedule, and 2 countries have reported partial introduction of the vaccine.
These findings underscore the urgent need to accelerate updates to national policies, expand surveillance, and close implementation gaps. STIs remain prevalent and continue to present a major burden of morbidity and mortality. To reduce STIs and prevent complications, the provision of quality STI prevention and care services is essential.
