As sexually transmitted infections continue to rise worldwide, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) marks World Sexual Health Day by calling on governments and health systems to expand access to prevention, testing, and treatment services for HIV and other STIs.

Despite proven tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat HIV and other STIs, gaps in access continue to put millions of people at risk globally. With an estimated 1.2 million new HIV infections each year globally, more than 1 million STIs acquired every day worldwide, and an estimated 374 million new cases of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis each year, the time to act is now. Declining global health funding and reduced access to condoms and routine screening threaten to further fuel rising STI rates.

Syphilis alone accounts for an estimated 8 million of those new cases annually and often causes no visible symptoms, allowing the infection to spread undetected. If left untreated, it can cause severe damage to the brain, heart, and other organs, or pass from a pregnant person to their baby, causing devastating outcomes.

“Sexual health deserves the same investment and urgency as any other part of a person’s health care,” said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy, Policy & Marketing. “Over our decades of experience, we know what works—testing, treatment, and condoms. Through our ‘Syphilis Is Serious: It’s Curable. Get Tested.’ campaign, our ‘Just Use It!’ condom advocacy, and our scalable AHF Wellness Center model that delivers no-cost, stigma-free care, we’re proving that every day throughout the 50 countries where we work. The continued rise in STIs isn’t a failure of science—it’s a failure of funding and political will, and it’s costing people their health and lives.”

AHF calls on governments and health systems worldwide to expand routine screenings for HIV, syphilis, and other STIs, especially for pregnant women and people at higher risk, increase funding for free or low-cost condoms, and integrate STI and HIV services so that testing, treatment, and prevention are available in a single visit, free from judgment or stigma.

World Sexual Health Day, observed annually on Sept. 4, is a reminder that sexual health is inseparable from overall health and well-being. Through its global network of more than 100 AHF Wellness Centers and campaigns like “Syphilis Is Serious,” AHF continues working to ensure that testing, treatment, and prevention reach everyone, everywhere. [Access AHF’s syphilis campaign assets here.]

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 3 million individuals across 50 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. In January 2025, AHF received the MLK, Jr. Social Justice Award, The King Center’s highest recognition for an organization leading work in the social justice arena. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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