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STI Prevalence Atlas

STI Prevalence Atlas data eligibility criteria

Studies included in the STI Prevalence Atlas

The Atlas currently includes data obtained from:

A systematic review focusing on chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis published before November 2025.
Studies identified in published systematic reviews on the prevalence of STIs.
Reviews of country studies and reports conducted in key populations (e.g. IBBS reports).

For more information on the data sources see: STI Prevalence Atlas: Data sources.

Data extraction is an ongoing process and not all of the data from the sources above have yet been extracted.

Data hosted on this database are from published studies and publicly available reports, and not data reported to WHO by Member States. Direct comparisons of these data across countries, without proper consideration and statistical adjustments, should be avoided.

Data extraction

The Atlas extracts data for different populations within a study (called Study Groups). Data are currently being extracted separately by country, gender, and time period. A study that contains data broken down by gender, country or time has multiple Study Groups. For example, a study reporting prevalence data for males and females in two countries for two years will have eight Study Groups. Some studies also provide data broken down into distinct populations (e.g. by key population); these are also treated as separate Study Groups.

Eligible papers are assigned a unique study ID and assigned to two extractors. The studies are independently extracted using the four standardised data extraction tools, the results compared, and any discrepancies resolved by the study team. The consolidated data set is then sent to WHO for review and feedback and five percent of samples are reviewed by WHO for completeness and accuracy before uploading to the STI Atlas database.

Form 1: Study details (online form): Used to collect basic information about the study including: objectives, design, sampling method, STIs with prevalence data, other infections with prevalence data, and if the study collected data on STI related complications and sequelae, resistance testing, testing or treatment coverage or STI incidence.
Form 2: Study Group details (online form): Used to collect basic information for each Study Group including: country, location, data collection start and end dates, gender, type of survey (community or clinic and where it was conducted), type of population studied, study inclusion and exclusion criteria, age range, symptom status, HIV status, and proportion of population that is sexually active.
Form 3: Prevalence data - general (spreadsheet): Used to extract prevalence data for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HSV-2, and trichomoniasis by anatomic site for each Study Group. Includes information on sample size and diagnostic tests.
Form 4: Prevalence data - syphilis (spreadsheet): Used to extract prevalence data for each Study Group. Includes information on sample size and diagnostic tests.

Atlas eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Type of data
Prevalence data measured using a diagnostic test for a specific infection.	Papers report combined prevalence data for two or more infections, or prevalence based on case reports, self-reported symptoms, medical records or questionnaires.
Geographic scope
Data from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) as defined by the World Bank classification 2025 (see below). Multi-country studies where data cannot be broken down by country if all countries are LMICs.	Multi-country studies where data cannot be broken down by country and one or more countries is classified as a high-income country. Geographic regions that are classified as high income by World Bank (e.g. Hong Kong)
Timeframe
Majority of samples collected in 2010 or later. For studies where the date of sample collection is not available, the study must have been submitted for publication from 1 January 2011 or, if publication information is unavailable, published on or after 1 January 2012.	Studies where majority of data collected pre-2010.
Study design
Cross-sectional, population-based, or epidemiological studies that report prevalence estimates. Only baseline data is included for intervention studies. Data for cases and controls in case control studies is entered separately.	Retrospective chart reviews of clinic or hospital records.
Type of study
Primary data.	Secondary analyses of previously published data.
Duration of sample collection
Sample collection window of five years or less. If the sample collection window is greater than five years and data can be broken down into shorter time periods then the study is eligible and each time period extracted separately.	Studies where the data collection window is more than five years and data cannot be broken down into shorter time periods.
Data disaggregation: gender
Data disaggregated by gender (male/ female/ other).	Data are not disaggregated by gender.
Sample size
Study Group sample size ≥ 100.	Study Group sample size < 100.

Countries included in the Atlas

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China (People's Republic of), Colombia, Comoros Islands, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

The Atlas presents prevalence data for those countries classified as low- or middle-income country (LMIC) as defined by the World Bank classification 2025

Reference material

STI Prevalence Atlas: Data sources

STI Prevalence Atlas: Data dictionary and extraction forms

Metadata

Copyright and licensing

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