ENGLISH
REFERENCE

STI

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate sti

n. Stands for sexually transmitted infection. An illness or infection that people pass to each other through sexual contact.

n. Abbreviation for sexually transmitted infection. A clinical condition or infection typically contracted through sexual contact, caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.


SIMPLE

Regular testing for an STI is part of good healthcare.

CONTEXTUAL

Public health clinics provide free screenings and education to help prevent the spread of any common STI.

COMPLEX

While many people use the terms interchangeably, an STI refers to the presence of the pathogen in the body, whereas an STD describes the resulting disease state with visible symptoms.

Usage

Often used as a collective term in medical and educational contexts; typically takes the indefinite article 'an' because the first letter is pronounced as a vowel ('ess').

Pitfall

a STIan STIThe indefinite article 'an' is used because the initialism starts with a vowel sound ('ess').

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