User guide

STIsim is built on top of Starsim. For understanding the core model architecture – agents, modules, parameters, time handling, results, and the simulation loop – the Starsim user guide is your primary reference.

This user guide documents what STIsim adds on top of Starsim:

• Diseases – State diagrams and parameter tables for each STI module (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, BV, GUD).
• Networks – The structured sexual network: risk groups, partnership types, age mixing, sex work, and condom use. See also MSM networks.
• Interventions – Testing, treatment, and HIV-specific interventions (ART, VMMC, PrEP).
• Connectors – Coinfection interactions between co-circulating diseases.
• Calibration – Fitting model parameters to data with Optuna.
• HIVsim – The HIV-focused convenience wrapper around sti.Sim.