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Background: Based on 2008 World Health Organization statistics there were 26.4 million new cases of selected curable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Iran has one of the highest STD statistics in the MENA region. The stigma attached to STDs and lack of education are among the causes of the increasing prevalence in Iran.
Methods: CtrlSTD.com is a website designed by an independent group of professionals with the goal of providing knowledge to the general public in Iran and the MENA regarding STDs. One of the Farsi services offered on the website is answering anonymous questions about STDs by medical doctors based in the United States in less than 24 hours. Questions received through the website and the linked Instagram channel were used as raw data for the presented statistical analysis.
Results: Six months after the launch of the website, we received 127 questions, from which a significant number were on general sexual health. From the STD-related questions, 34% were about two or more diseases. HPV, Herpes, and Chlamydia, respectively, were the next most popular topics. In addition, more than 80% of the users were from Tehran and 20 to 35 years old.
Conclusions: The demographics obtained imply that youth have been the primary audience of STD education on our website. Demographics also show that internet resources such as CtrlSTD.com, though successful in larger cities, are not an efficient means to reach the rural population.