Table 1:

Approach to taking a sexual history* (11)

AreaExamples of questions
Partners
  • Are you currently having sex of any kind?

  • In the last 2 months, how many sexual partners have you had?

  • What is/are the genders of your sexual partners?

  • Do your partners have other sexual partners? What is/are their gender(s)?

Practices
  • To offer the most appropriate testing, can you tell me more about what types of sex you have?

  • What parts of your body are involved when you have sex?

  • Genital sex (penis in the vagina)

  • Anal sex (penis in the anus)

  • Oral sex (mouth on penis, vagina or anus)

  • How do you meet your sexual partners?

  • Have you or any of your partners used drugs?

  • Have you ever exchanged sex to meet your needs (money, housing, food etc.)?

Protection
  • Do you and your partner(s) discuss STI prevention?

  • If you use prevention, what methods do you use?

  • How often do you use these methods (never, sometimes, all of the time)?

  • Have you received the human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis A (HAV) vaccine?

  • Have you ever used or considered using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)?

Past history
  • Have you ever been tested for STIs?

  • Have you ever been diagnosed and/or treated for an STI in the past?

  • Have any of your current or former partners ever been diagnosed or treated for an STI?

Pregnancy
  • How important is it to you to prevent pregnancy?

  • Are you or your partner using contraception or any form of birth control?

  • Note: STI = sexually transmitted infection.

  • * Based on information contained in Reno H, Park I, Workowski K, et al. A guide to taking a sexual history. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; reviewed 2022. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/SexualHistory.htm#