IUSTI Guidelines are intended for use by specialists in the field of sexually transmitted infections and are of particular relevance to the European region. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to supersede or substitute for the normal doctor – patient relationship.
The guidelines are presented in three main categories which may be accessed by clicking the link provided in each category.
Current IUSTI European Guidelines:
Current guidelines are finalised, peer-reviewed guidelines. They will normally have been published, or will be in the process of publication, in Int J STD & AIDS. Guidelines are presented both in pdf format and, where published, in html format on the Int J STD AIDS website.
Draft IUSTI European Guidelines:
Draft guidelines are interim guidelines presented here for a strictly limited time so that IUSTI members may comment on them before they are finalised. Although they will have been subject to informal review by expert authors and by IUSTI members, they have not yet undergone formal peer review by Int J STD & AIDS or JEADV, and are therefore only available on this site.
Patient Information:
A series of patient information leaflets are produced by IUSTI-Europe and are available in a number of languages.
IUSTI European Guidelines Protocol:
The 2023 agreed protocol for the production of European guidelines is available here
History of the European STI Guidelines Project:
The initial proposal to develop European STI Guidelines was made by Dr Pieter van Voorst Vader from the Netherlands at the IUSTI Europe meeting in Sevilla, Spain, in 1997. This proposal was formally adopted at the IUSTI Europe meeting in Göteborg, Sweden, in 1998. Dr van Voorst Vader and Dr Keith Radcliffe (United Kingdom) were appointed as joint Editors-in-Chief to lead the project. The first set of guidelines were produced and published in 2001 (International Journal of STD & AIDS 2001:12 : suppl 3 : 1-102). Since 2001 the project has continued to update the guidelines regularly, and to develop new ones as required.
PROCEDURES | DOCUMENT LINKS |
Partner Management (2024) | |
HIV testing (2021) Gökengin, D., Wilson-Davies, E., Nazlı Zeka, A., Palfreeman, A., Begovac, J., Dedes, N., Tarashenko, O., Stevanovic, M. and Patel, R. (2021), 2021 European guideline on HIV testing in genito-urinary medicine settings. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol, 35: 1043-1057. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17139 | |
Organisation of a consultation for sexually transmitted diseases (2019). | |
MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC INFECTIONS | |
Chancroid (2016) | |
Chlamydia (2025) JA White, NHTM Dukers-Muijrers, CJPA Hoebe, CR Kenyon, JDC Ross & M Unemo. 2025 European guideline on the management of Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Intl J STD AIDS DOI: 10.1177/09564624251323678 | |
Donovanosis (2016) | |
Genital herpes (2024) Patel R, Moran B, Clarke E, Geretti AM, Lautenschlager S, Green J, Donders G, Gomberg M, Samraj S, Tiplica GS, Foley E. 2024 European guidelines for the management of genital herpes. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2024 Dec 2. doi: 10.1111/jdv.20450. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39620271. | |
Gonorrhoea (2020) Polish version (2015) M Unemo, et al. European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhoea in adults. Intl J STD AIDS. DOI:10.1177/0956462420949126 | |
Hepatitis B and C (2017) | |
HPV (2019) | |
Lymphogranuloma venereum (2019) | |
Molluscum contagiosum (2020) | |
Mycoplasma genitalium (2021) European guideline on the management of Mycoplasma genitalium infections. J.S. Jensen, M. Cusini, M. Gomberg, H. Moi, J. Wilson, M. Unemo. First published: 19 February 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17972 | |
Pediculosis Pubis (2017) | |
Scabies (2016) under review. Contact George-Sorin Tiplica with comments | |
Syphilis (2020) | Polish version (2015) | |
Urogenital Mycoplasmas other than M. genitalium 2018. Should we be testing for urogenital Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum in men and women? – a position statement from the European STI Guidelines Editorial Board. Horner P, Donders G, Cusini M, Gomberg M, Jensen JS, Unemo M. JEADV 2018; 32: 1845–1851 | |
MANAGEMENT OF SYNDROMES | |
2022 European guideline for the management of balanoposthitis. S. Edwards, C. Bunker, E. van der Snoek, W. van der Meijden J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.18954 | |
Epididymo-orchitis (2024) Justice ED, Fricker J, Ross JDC, Kopa Z, Skerlev M, Patel R. The 2024 European guideline on the management of epididymo-orchitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025; 00: 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.20865 | |
Non-gonococcal urethritis (2016) under review please contact Andy Winter with comments | |
Pelvic inflammatory disease (2017) | |
Proctitis (2021) de Vries HJC, Nori AV, Kiellberg et al. 2021 European Guideline on the management of proctitis, proctocolitis and enteritis caused by sexually transmissible pathogens. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021;35:1434-1443. | |
Vaginal Discharge (2018). | |
Vulval conditions (2022) van der Meijden, W., Boffa, M., ter Harmsel, B., Kirtschig, G., Lewis, F., Moyal-Barracco, M., Tiplica, G.-S. and Sherrard, J. (2022), 2021 European guideline for the management of vulval conditions. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.18102 | |
DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR COMMENTS | |