2023 has been an exciting year in the STI field! Progress in research and development on chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, and HPV has resulted in new vaccine candidates, studies on the use of doxycycline to prevent bacterial STIs, regulatory approvals for the marketing of chlamydia and gonorrhea self-collection kits and HPV tests (US), and a new treatment for gonorrhea. Each of these milestones bring us closer to better detection, prevention, and treatment of STIs so that we can one day see the end of this epidemic.  

We are incredibly excited to see what 2024 will bring to the STI field and look forward to the continued advancement of STI vaccines and diagnostics.

Scroll down for upcoming webinars, must-read resources, and new findings on the need for STI vaccines and diagnostics in East and Southern African countries. 

AVAC and its STI subaward partners attended the World Health Organization's (WHO) post-summit session in Berlin, Germany in October to help identify priorities and strategies to include STIs in the global health discourse. Partners brought important insights and learnings to the discussion with researchers, policy makers, civil society and affected communities, including how to better identify and collaborate with populations who currently underserved in our STI advocacy actions. 

In October AVAC's seven subaward partners from across South and Eastern Africa shared results from their landscaping analyses, which are helping to shed light on community needs and perceptions around STI advocacy; better uncover issues and opportunities related to local STI vaccine and diagnostic research and development and identify areas to improve STI prevention efforts. View and listen to their presentations and find more resources here.

Are you interested in mentoring opportunities in the STI field? If so, please complete this survey and let us know what opportunities and activities you may be interested in.

• Updates on single-dose HPV vaccine from the KEN SHE Trial. The Kenya Single-dose HPV-vaccine Efficacy (KEN SHE) trial is a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of a one-dose HPV vaccine to prevent HPV infection in adolescents aged 15-20 years in Kenya. New results from the KEN SHE trial found that three years post vaccinations, a single-dose HPV vaccination was safe and highly protective in preventing HPV infection. These results continue to support the implementation of a single-dose HPV vaccination, which is currently recommended by the WHO. 
   
• Updated Data on Congenital Syphilis in the US. The Division of STD Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released 2022 congenital syphilis data. Between 2012 and 2022, congenital syphilis cases increased by 755%. Lack of timely testing and adequate treatment contributed to nearly 90% of congenital cases in 2022. This data was released while many jurisdictions and countries continue to experience a shortage of medication used to treat syphilis among pregnant people and babies with congenital syphilis. 
   
• STI and Sexual Health Videos featuring Drs. Leandro Mena and Charlene Flash. KFF’s Greater Than, and CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together released several videos where Drs. Leandro Mena and Charlene Flash discuss STIs and sexual health. They touch on many topics including STI symptoms, testing and treatment options, and sexual health. All videos are 1-minute long and can easily be shared! 

To learn more about AVAC’s STI Program, visit STIwatch.org and avac.org/sti. Email [email protected] for questions or additional information. And to sign up for specific updates on STIs, click here.