The global distribution and burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are highly skewed, disproportionally affecting vulnerable groups. The majority of health interventions focus on individual lifestyle and risky behaviours, overlooking structural, economic, and social factors that firstly add to the vulnerability and secondly constrain individual agency for sexual decision-making. This study aimed at piloting a screening tool that incorporates the social determinants of health (SDH) and comorbidities for more efficient identification of at-risk individuals and help design targeted interventions to reduce STI transmission. Cross-sectional data were collected from vulnerable populations in Southern Italy to assess how SDH and mental health status affected STI risk. The prevalence of at least one STI was 14.3%. Participants reported multiple adversities, including intimate partner violence, discrimination, and lack of access to healthcare. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that previously having an STI increased the odds of testing positive for an STI by 7.6 times. SDH or corresponding comorbidities were not significantly related to a positive STI status. Due to the small sample size, we could not fit a multivariate model. Future larger-sample studies should be designed to incorporate causality and interactions between SDH, as well as explicitly accounting for cultural differences between participants in measures and design.

The data resides within the Maastricht University premises. The data cannot be shared due to the personal and sensitive nature of it. This is according to the GDPR legislation.