When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency, the public health STD prevention field redeployed staff and reoriented its activities to face the pandemic head on. The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) shifted its own work to support the emergency response of our members—health department STD directors and their support staff across 50 states, seven large cities, and eight U.S. territories, plus disease intervention specialists (DIS), STD and sexual health clinics, and community-based partners.

NCSD has conducted periodic membership surveys to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the STD field. Their results show an evolving story of community impact and needs.

COVID-19 and the State of the STD Field 

Our original State of the STD Field survey, conducted in March 2020, showed how the earliest days of the pandemic shifted STD program efforts.

COVID-19 and the State of the STD Field – Phase II

The second State of the STD Field survey assessed STD programs in June 2020, finding that all but two percent of programs had shifted work to pandemic response.

COVID-19 and the State of the STD Field – Phase III

The third State of the STD Field Survey assessed the widespread consequences of the pandemic on STD programs in November 2020.

COVID-19 and the State of the State of the STD Field – Phase IV 

The fourth and final State of the STD Field Survey. As STD programs began to find their new normal in 2021 and into 2022, NCSD again surveyed our membership in June 2022 to understand the state of the STI sector.