Whereas 75% to 95% of People know that illnesses similar to human papillomavirus (HPV) an infection and genital herpes are sexually transmitted, gaps in data about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) stay, together with whether or not there are vaccines towards them.
These findings, from a ballot by the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) on the College of Pennsylvania, underscore the necessity for extra schooling towards a backdrop of elevated and rising charges of some STIs, the authors say.
STIs are quite common, with roughly 20% of People having an STI on any given day in 2018 and 85% contaminated with HPV sooner or later of their life. And though case counts of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis fell in america from 2022 to 2024, they’re nonetheless 13% increased than they had been 10 years in the past, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
The nationally consultant ballot of 1,639 US adults was fielded in April 2026. It had a margin of sampling error of ± 3.5 proportion factors.
1 in 5 incorrectly implicated bathroom seats in STI unfold
Practically half (47%) of respondents stated they or somebody they know had ever been identified as having an STI, with 72% of them realizing a minimum of two folks with that STI.
The proportions of individuals who knew that sure illnesses are sexually transmitted had been excessive for genital herpes (95%), gonorrhea (94%), syphilis (91%), chlamydia (89%), and HPV (75%, up six proportion factors from 2024). People had been extra conscious that HIV might be sexually transmitted (92%) than mpox (35%) or Zika (13%), which is especially mosquito-borne.
Whereas 92% acknowledge HIV as sexually transmitted, solely 33% realize it additionally might be transmitted by breastfeeding.
“Public understanding improves when correct well being info reaches folks clearly and constantly,” Ken Winneg, PhD, APPC managing director of survey analysis, stated within the launch. “However these findings present persevering with gaps in consciousness about illnesses which might be sexually transmitted similar to HPV, mpox, and Zika.”
People’ data of frequent modes of STI transmission was very excessive, at 97% for vaginal intercourse, 94% for anal intercourse, 91% for genital-to-genital contact, and 89% for oral intercourse. Additionally, 49% of respondents indicated that STIs can unfold by kissing, which though an unusual route, is feasible for syphilis when a sore is current and could also be a threat issue for oral gonorrhea. Whereas 20% stated sitting on a contaminated bathroom seat is a threat issue, the CDC says it isn’t.
“Public understanding is uneven round much less frequent transmission pathways for HIV, specifically,” the discharge stated. “Whereas 92% acknowledge HIV as sexually transmitted, solely 33% realize it additionally might be transmitted by breastfeeding. In keeping with the CDC, HIV might be transmitted throughout being pregnant, childbirth, or breastfeeding.”
Half incorrectly thought an HIV vaccine exists
Data of which illnesses might be prevented by vaccination was spotty, with 68% of respondents accurately indicating that an HPV vaccine is offered and 42% accurately figuring out mpox as vaccine-preventable.
Likewise, most People had been unaware that there isn’t any vaccine towards HIV (52% not sure or incorrectly thought a vaccine exists), genital herpes (54%), gonorrhea (58%), chlamydia (60%), syphilis (61%), and Zika (81%).
Amid rising charges of syphilis and congenital syphilis, many People didn’t understand how it may be prevented and handled. Though most (91%) of individuals accurately recognized syphilis as sexually transmitted, 61% had been both unclear whether or not there’s a vaccine towards it (44%) or incorrectly indicated {that a} vaccine exists (17%).
However most respondents (80%) knew that syphilis might be prevented via abstinence, and 78% accurately stated that condoms had been efficient.
There have been different encouraging indicators that almost all People know primary details about STIs, together with that 93% knew that STIs can unfold asymptomatically, 87% rejected the parable that solely folks with a number of sexual companions get STIs, 83% understood that HIV medication can management illness development (a 4 percentage-point decline from 2024), 80% knew that STIs can unfold from a pregnant lady to her child, and 70% knew that HPV can result in most cancers in girls. However 14% additionally incorrectly believed the vaccine leads teenagers to interact in dangerous sexual habits, up from 10% in 2024.
