ABSTRACT
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been identified as an impor-tant health problem across the globe not only because of their physical manifestations and socioeconomic implications, but also because of our struggle to control outbreaks from a public health perspective. Worldwide, an estimated million curable STIs including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Trichomoniasis occur annually (World Health Organization ), a reality that disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults aged between and years, thus, highlighting that individuals within this age group are vulnerable to STI infections (Panchaud et al. , Weinstock et al. ). Despite remarkable declines of STI rates in the past decades in both Canada and the United States (Weinstock et al. , Center of Disease Control , Public Health Agency of Canada ), recent years have shown a gradual increase in incidence for specific infections, including Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. As a Canadian national strategy, STI prevention and control is at the forefront of discussions to address the escalating STI epidemic (MacDonald and Wong ).
