Community Risk Contribution

These are things about you and your choices that make you safer or put you more at risk of acquiring an STD including HIV. These are often not things that you can control, which can feel pretty unfair.

Choices that put you at a Reduced Infection Risk

Choices that put you at a Greater Infection Risk

Being part of a community where most people are highly educated (education is associated with better health knowledge and access)
Living in a place where most people have health insurance (insurance makes it easier to get screened and treated)
Living in an area with easily available medical care

Living someplace where many people are infected
Having one or more family members with an infection, like herpes, that can be transmitted through casual contact
Dating within a group where there is a high infection prevalence

(Made possible by Elizabeth Boskey, PhD | Reviewed by Susan Olender, MD, updated May 21, 2018)