STI Information Hub
Learning about STIs and their impact is a powerful step toward protecting your health and your community. Explore the sections below to learn more about HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C.
What are Sexually Transmitted Infections?
Sexually Transmitted Infections, also known as STIs, is a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite that are most commonly passed through sexual contact, including, vaginal, anal and oral sex. Some STIs can also be spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, bodily fluids(blood, semen, vaginal fluids), or from parent to child during pregnancy or birth.
You may also hear the term STD (sexually transmitted disease), which is often used interchangeably with STI. In some cases, an STI can develop into an STD if it leads to symptoms or health problems, but many infections do not cause symptoms right away.
Many STIs do not have symptoms or cause symptoms right away which means that people may not know they have one. The only way to know for sure if you have an STI is to get tested. Without testing and treatment, some STIs can lead to serious long-term health problems. The good news is that many are preventable, treatable and manageable with proper care and medication.
STI Health Disparities in American Indian and Alaska Native communities
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STIS continue to be a significant public health concern, especially among underserved populations, including American Indian and Alaska Native(AI/AN) communities in both urban and rural areas.
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Higher rates of STIS in AI/AN communities are shaped by historical, structural and social factors.
The risk of STIs in AI/AN people are closely linked to historical trauma and ongoing social determinants of health such as such as limited access to care and systemic inequities. While STI services exist, many people face barriers to testing and treatment, including underfunded health systems, geographic challenges, and mistrust of healthcare systems.
Improving outcomes requires accessible, low-barrier, and culturally grounded services that are community-based, person-centered, and respectful of AI/AN histories and cultures. systemic inequities.
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Many STIs can go unnoticed without symptoms, which makes regular testing especially important. Barriers to care can increase the likelihood that infections go undiagnosed and untreated, leading to more serious health outcomes over time.
For Native communities, these challenges can also affect families and future generations if infections are not identified and treated early.
Data shows that HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C disproportionately impact AI/AN populations, with higher rates of infection, complications, and related health outcomes compared to some other groups. These patterns highlight the need for improved access to testing, treatment, and prevention services.
To learn more about specific data and statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/health-disparities-hiv-std-tb-hepatitis/populations/american-indian-alaska-native.html
Let’s go into the specifics!
Understanding the basics is important, but each STI has its own symptoms, transmission, and treatments.
Express STI Testing
