The 2026 STI Prevention Conference comes at a moment when the STI field is being asked to do a lot at once: sustain progress, respond to new challenges, and chart a path forward in an increasingly complex environment. Convened under the theme, Forward Together: Uniting Science, Community, and Care for STI Prevention, the conference reflects both the urgency of the moment and the optimism that meaningful progress is still within reach, especially if we act collectively. 

Recent declines in chlamydia and gonorrhea show that progress is possible. Yet the continued rise in congenital syphilis and persistent barriers in accessing sexual health services highlight gaps in prevention, testing, and treatment, which are affecting communities already disproportionately impacted by STIs. 

Unlike prior conferences, the 2026 meeting is designed in response to a dramatically shifting landscape marked by shrinking federal and state funding, terminated research grants, workforce shortages, and policies that increasingly make sexual healthcare inaccessible. The conference explicitly prioritizes prevention strategies, service delivery models, research, and policy approaches that remain responsive to community needs, even as resources tighten.

Against these challenges, the 2026 STI Prevention Conference centers collaboration across research, public health practice, community leadership, and clinical care to identify how the field can protect hard-won gains and do more with limited resources. With a smaller, action-oriented format, designed to foster meaningful engagement, the 2026 STI Prevention Conference serves as both a call to unity and a platform for collective leadership. It reaffirms a central truth: that progress in STI prevention depends on aligning science, community, and care – and moving forward together.