A new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania found that Americans’ knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a bit spotty. While large majorities of adults know the most common STIs and the most common means of transmission, there’s still a good deal of confusion about lesser-known infections, vaccines, and whether sitting on a toilet seat is risky (it’s not).
The survey was conducted in April 2026. It asked a representative sample of 1,639 U.S. adults to answer questions about STIs. It found that many people in the U.S. (47%) know someone who has ever been diagnosed with an STI. In fact, most people (72%) who knew someone with an STI reported knowing two or more people who had been diagnosed. This is not surprising given that it’s estimated that 1 in 2 people in the United States will get an STI in their lifetime.
People in the U.S. seem to be familiar with the most common infections with 95% of respondents correctly identified genital herpes as an STI followed by gonorrhea (94%), HIV (92%), syphilis (91%), chlamydia (89%), and HPV or human papilloma virus (75%). While most of these answers were similar to a 2024 survey, there was a six-point jump in the number of people who knew HPV could be sexually transmitted.
47% of survey respondents said know someone who has ever been diagnosed with an STI.
People were understandably less familiar with some of the less common STIs. Only 35% of respondents knew that mpox can be sexually transmitted and only 13% knew that the Zika virus, which is mostly transmitted by mosquitos, can also be sexually transmitted.
The good news is that 93% of people understood that STIs can spread even without symptoms and 87% rejected the myth that only people with many sexually partners get STIs.
Respondents were also mostly correct about how STIs are spread. Almost all respondents (97%) identified vaginal sex as a common means of transmission, 94% said anal sex, 91% said genital-to-genital contact, 89% said oral sex, and 80% knew that some STIs could be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth.
There was some confusion around whether kissing and toilet seats could transmit STIs. Almost half of respondents (49%) identified kissing as a transmission route for STIs in general. Kissing does pose a risk for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) which causes blisters or “cold sores” on the mouth. It is not considered risky for most other STIs.
Similarly, 20% of respondents worried that sitting on a toilet seat right after someone who had an STI had used it could be risky. This is not true. The germs that cause most STIs are very fragile and cannot survive outside of the body on surfaces like toilets or doorknobs.
Respondents were also asked about which STIs were preventable with vaccines. The answers show that this is an area where more education is needed. As of right now we only have vaccines for HPV (the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and mpox.
While 68% of people correctly said that there is a vaccine that can protect against HPV and cervical cancer, only 42% knew that a vaccine exists for mpox. Unfortunately, the survey also found that 14% of people in the U.S. think the HPV vaccine leads teens to engage in risky sexual behavior. While this might sound small, it is an increase from just 10% in 2024. There have been numerous studies done that all debunk this myth; young people who get the HPV vaccine are no more likely to become sexually active or to have multiple partners that their unvaccinated peers.
For most STIs, the majority of people surveyed either admitted they were unsure about whether there was a vaccine or incorrectly thought that a vaccine already exists: HIV (53%), genital herpes (54%), gonorrhea (58%), chlamydia (60%), syphilis (61%), and Zika (81%). We do not have vaccines for any of these STIs.
There were also some interesting gaps in knowledge about HIV treatment. A majority of respondents 83% knew that HIV medication can control the disease progression, but only 45% knew that most people in the United States who have HIV do not develop AIDS.
“Gaps in STI information can have real consequences. If people don’t understand how STIs are transmitted, they might not protect themselves and their partner. If they don’t know which STI tests to get, they might not find out they have an infection or get the treatment they need,” said Rebecca Karpinski, ASHA’s Interim President and CEO. “Access to education and care are the keys to tackling the STI epidemic in this country. This survey shows that there is some more work to be done,” she added.
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