Boost Your Confidence by Knowing What Are the 5 Ps of Sexual Health

Understand what the 5 Ps are

If you have ever wondered, “what are the 5 Ps of sexual health?” you are already taking a smart step toward feeling more confident about your body and your relationships. The 5 Ps are a simple framework recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that helps you and your healthcare provider talk clearly about your sexual health and your risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (CDC).

The 5 Ps stand for:

Partners
Practices
Protection from STIs
Past history of STIs
Pregnancy intention

This approach is mainly used by healthcare providers when they take a sexual history, but you can also use it to reflect on your own choices and prepare for appointments. When you know what each “P” means, conversations with your doctor feel less awkward and more like a normal part of taking care of your health.

According to research referenced by Sermo, most patients believe sexual health should be a routine topic with primary care doctors. In one survey, 71% of patients agreed or strongly agreed that doctors should ask all patients about sexual health (Sermo). You are not alone in wanting clearer, more open conversations.

Why the 5 Ps matter for you

The 5 Ps method gives your provider a complete picture of your sexual health in a structured and respectful way. It helps to:

Identify your risk for STIs
Decide which tests make sense for you
Talk about protection methods that fit your life
Understand your goals around pregnancy
Spot patterns, like repeated infections, that may need extra attention

The CDC recommends that taking a sexual history using the 5 Ps should be as routine as checking your blood pressure so that everyone gets high quality care (Sermo). Once you know what to expect, it is easier to answer honestly and ask questions of your own.

P1: Partners

The first “P” is Partners. Here, your provider focuses on who you are sexually active with. The CDC notes that this includes the number of partners, the gender of partners, and any new or overlapping relationships, all without making assumptions about sexual orientation or gender identity (CDC).

You might be asked:

Are you currently sexually active?
In the past 12 months, how many sexual partners have you had?
Do you have sex with men, women, or people of any gender?
Do you have a main partner, casual partners, or both?
Do you know if your partners have other partners?

These questions are not about judging you. They help your provider understand where possible risks could come from. For example, having multiple partners or partners who also have other partners can change how often it makes sense to get STI testing.

You can prepare by thinking ahead about:

How many partners you have had recently
Whether any partners are new
Whether you know their STI testing status

Being honest helps your provider give you the most accurate advice and testing options.

P2: Practices

The second “P” is Practices. This part is about what kind of sexual activities you have, because different practices carry different risks. The CDC explains that these questions guide risk assessment, risk reduction strategies, and which areas of the body need to be tested for STIs (CDC).

Your provider might ask:

What types of sexual contact do you have: vaginal, anal, oral, or other?
Which body parts are involved during sex, for you and for your partners?
Do you use sex toys, and if so, how do you clean or share them?

Research suggests that using open ended questions like “Who are your sexual partners?” and “Which body parts are involved during sex?” instead of focusing only on gender labels helps providers get medically useful and inclusive information (NCBI).

This “P” matters because:

Some STIs are more likely to affect the throat, genitals, or rectum, depending on the type of sex
Knowing your practices helps your provider decide which tests to run and where to collect samples
You can discuss specific ways to reduce risk during the types of sex you actually have

If you feel shy talking about practices, remember that your provider asks these questions every day. You can always say, “This is a little uncomfortable to talk about, but I want to be honest so I can stay healthy.”

P3: Protection from STIs

The third “P” is Protection from STIs. Here, you and your provider talk about how you currently protect yourself, and what might work better for you. The CDC describes this “P” as looking at abstinence, condom use, number of partners, testing habits, and other risk reduction strategies tailored to your situation (CDC).

Typical questions include:

How often do you use condoms or other barrier methods like dental dams?
What makes it easier or harder for you to use protection?
Have you or your partners been tested for STIs recently?
Do you know if you have ever been exposed to an STI?

Protection is about more than just condoms. It can also include:

Regular STI testing
Talking with partners about their testing status
Choosing lower risk practices, depending on your comfort and goals
Considering vaccines like HPV or hepatitis B if recommended by your provider

By describing what you actually do, your provider can help you find realistic next steps instead of giving you generic advice that might not fit your life.

P4: Past history of STIs

The fourth “P” is Past history of STIs. Your past infections can influence your current risk and help guide what to watch for in the future. The CDC notes that previous STIs increase current risk and should be part of any thorough sexual health history (CDC).

You might be asked:

Have you ever had an STI before, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, HIV, or others?
When were you diagnosed, and how was it treated?
Have you ever had an STI more than once?
Have any of your partners had an STI?

Being honest about past infections helps you:

Catch repeat infections earlier
Understand if you should be screened more frequently
Clarify any lingering symptoms or concerns
Learn how to lower the chance of passing an infection to future partners

If you are not sure what you were treated for in the past, you can say so. Your provider can often look at old records or help you figure out what testing is needed now.

P5: Pregnancy intention

The fifth “P” is Pregnancy intention. This part looks at whether you do or do not want to become pregnant or cause a pregnancy, and what information or support you need around that. The CDC describes this “P” as exploring pregnancy goals and related needs for you or your partners (CDC).

Expect questions like:

Are you hoping to become pregnant in the near future?
Are you trying to avoid pregnancy right now?
If you do not want to be pregnant, what methods of birth control are you using, if any?
If you might want children later, do you have questions about fertility or timing?

Talking openly about pregnancy intention helps you:

Find a birth control method that fits your body and your lifestyle
Plan for a healthy pregnancy if and when you want one
Avoid surprises that can be stressful or unsafe
Understand how STI prevention and pregnancy prevention can work together

Even if your answer is “I am not sure” or “I never want kids,” saying that clearly allows your provider to support you better.

How the 5 Ps help you feel more confident

Understanding what the 5 Ps of sexual health are does more than just help your doctor. It can also change how you see your own sexual well being.

Here is how this framework can boost your confidence:

You know what to expect at appointments
Instead of feeling caught off guard by personal questions, you already know the five areas that might come up. That predictability can make visits feel calmer and more manageable.
You are prepared to answer honestly
When you think through your partners, practices, protection, past STIs, and pregnancy goals ahead of time, you go in with clear answers. This reduces anxiety and helps you feel more in control.
You can spot gaps in your own care
Maybe you realize you have not had STI testing in a while, or that your pregnancy plans have changed, or that your protection habits are not what you want them to be. The 5 Ps help you notice those patterns.
You have a simple checklist for self reflection
Even outside a clinic, you can ask yourself:
Who am I with? (Partners)
What are we doing? (Practices)
How are we staying safe? (Protection)
What have I dealt with before? (Past STIs)
What are my goals around pregnancy? (Pregnancy intention)

This kind of reflection can support healthier boundaries, clearer communication, and more comfortable choices.

Beyond risk: an expanded view of sexual health

The original 5 Ps focus mainly on infection risk, pregnancy, and medical history. They are very useful, but they do not fully cover your overall sexual well being. Some experts have suggested expanding the framework to include three additional “Ps”: pleasure, problems, and pride (NCBI).

These extra elements help shift the conversation from only “What might go wrong?” to a more complete view of your sexual health:

Pleasure
Are you enjoying sex? Do you feel satisfied, or do you have pain, discomfort, or difficulty with arousal or orgasm?
Problems
Are there concerns such as pain, low desire, difficulty with erections or lubrication, past trauma, or relationship stress that affect your sexual life?
Pride
Do you feel safe and affirmed in your sexual identity, orientation, and body? Do you feel respected by partners and providers?

Incorporating pleasure, problems, and pride, alongside the original 5 Ps, supports a more trauma informed and holistic approach to sexual health (NCBI). You deserve care that looks at your whole experience, not just lab results.

You can bring these topics up even if your provider does not ask directly. For example:

“I am not having any pain or infections, but I am not really enjoying sex. Can we talk about that?”
“I want to make sure my identity is respected when we talk about partners and body parts.”

How to use the 5 Ps at your next appointment

You can make your next visit easier by using the 5 Ps as a preparation guide. Before your appointment, jot down a few notes for each area.

Partners

Number of partners in the last 12 months
Whether partners are new, long term, or both
Anything you know about their STI testing status

Practices

Types of sex you have (oral, vaginal, anal, other)
Which body parts are involved for you and your partners
Whether you use sex toys, and how they are cleaned or shared

Protection from STIs

How often you use condoms or other barrier methods
Any situations where protection is difficult to use
When you were last tested for STIs

Past history of STIs

Any previous STI diagnoses
How they were treated
Any symptoms that seem to come back

Pregnancy intention

Whether you want to avoid pregnancy now
Whether you hope to become pregnant in the near future
Any questions about birth control, fertility, or timing

Bringing written notes can help if you get nervous or forget details in the moment. You can also tell your provider, “I organized my thoughts using the 5 Ps. Can we go through them together?” Many clinicians are familiar with this framework and will appreciate your preparation.

What to do if you feel uncomfortable

Talking about sexual health can feel vulnerable, especially if you have had negative experiences in the past. You still deserve respectful, nonjudgmental care.

You can:

Say what you need:
“Some of these questions are hard for me, but I know they matter for my health. Please go slowly.”
Ask why a question matters:
“Can you explain how this question relates to my health so I understand better?”
Set boundaries:
“I am not ready to talk about that part today, but I can answer the other questions.”
Request a different provider if needed, such as someone of a particular gender or with experience in LGBTQ+ care, if that would help you feel safer.

If your provider mentions a CDC training or approach, such as “Individualizing Sexual Health Care: A Virtual Patient Simulation,” that means they are using educational tools designed to help them apply the 5 Ps in a sensitive and effective way (Sermo). You can see that as a sign they are trying to improve how they care for you.

Key takeaways

The answer to “what are the 5 Ps of sexual health?” is: Partners, Practices, Protection from STIs, Past history of STIs, and Pregnancy intention.
The 5 Ps framework, recommended by the CDC, helps your provider take a thorough sexual history and tailor testing, prevention, and counseling to you (CDC).
Many patients actually want doctors to ask about sexual health, and 71% in one survey agreed these questions should be routine (Sermo).
You can use the 5 Ps to prepare for appointments and to reflect on your own sexual health choices.
Expanding your view to include pleasure, problems, and pride can help you seek care that supports your overall well being, not just infection prevention.

When you understand the 5 Ps and how they work, you step into appointments as an informed partner in your care. That knowledge alone can make you feel more grounded, more prepared, and more confident about your sexual health.