THE ROLE OF PREVENTION AND VACCINATION FOR THE SPREAD OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Vaccination and prevention are commonly employed strategies in disease control. However, the influence of sexual preferences on the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains underexplored due to the lack of adequate mathematical models. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the impact of sexual preferences on STIs transmission and providing a tool for implementing more effective control policies. We develop two models that describe STIs transmission dynamics in populations with exclusively same-sex or opposite-sex contacts. Later, we introduce a third, more general model that integrates both scenarios. Sensitivity analysis reveals that prevention often outperforms vaccination in effectiveness. Our findings highlight the critical need for tailoring control policies. In the cases of sexual preferences, it is paramount to pay attention to the group with the highest local basic reproduction number, underscoring the importance of customized strategies in disease management.