The CDC recommneds considering these key elements of a patient's sexual history when considering risk factors for STIs and points for patient counseling.

The Five P's shown below are shared from the CDC's 2015 STD Guidelines: Partners, Practices, Prevention of Pregnancy, Protection from STDs, and Past History of STDs

1. Partners

• "Do you have sex with men, women, or both?"

• "In the past 2 months, how many partners have you had sex with?"

• "In the past 12 months, how many partners have you had sex with?"

• "Is it possible that any of your sex partners had sex with someone else while they were still in a sexual relationship with you?"

2. Practices

• "To understand your risks for STDs, I need to understand the kind of sex you have had recently."

• "Have you had vaginal sex, meaning 'penis in vagina sex'?" If yes, "Do you use condoms: never, sometimes, or always?"

• "Have you had anal sex, meaning 'penis in rectum/anus sex'?" If yes, "Do you use condoms: never, sometimes, or always?"

• "Have you had oral sex, meaning 'mouth on penis/vagina'?"

• For condom answers:

• If "never": "Why don't you use condoms?"

• If "sometimes": "In what situations (or with whom) do you use condoms?"

3. Prevention of pregnancy

• "What are you doing to prevent pregnancy?"

4. Protection from STDs

• "What do you do to protect yourself from STDs and HIV?"

5. Past history of STDs

• "Have you ever had an STD?"

• "Have any of your partners had an STD?"

Additional questions to identify HIV and viral hepatitis risk include:

• "Have you or any of your partners ever injected drugs?"

• "Have your or any of your partners exchanged money or drugs for sex?"

• "Is there anything else about your sexual practices that I need to know about?"