Sexually transmitted diseases

This chapter reviews current strategies in the US for the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and outlines recommendations for future strategies. At present, STD control strategies are influenced by 4 basic factors: the health care system, the different levels of government, the response of medical schools, and varying media attention. The 3 tiers of government in the US have different responsibilities for STD control, necessitating a partnership at the federal, state, and local levels. In particular, state and local health officials need to cooperate to ensure an integrated STD program. Medical schools are de-emphasizing instruction in venereology, meaning that many physicians enter practice without adequated knowledge of STD diagnosis and treatment. Overall, the STD intervention program in the US is comprised of the following components: health education and promotion, disease detection, appropriate treatment, partner tracing and patient counseling, clinical services, training, and research. There is a need for epidemiologic investigations to continually estimate the population at risk, broaden the surveillance of unreported STD, re-examine program activities for more cost-effective approaches, determine key patient behaviors such as compliance with prevention, and use cost-benefit and decision analysis models for program evaluation. The US Surgeon General has designated STD as 1 of 15 priority areas for national prevention and control efforts. Target objectives for 1990 include reductions in the rates of gonorrhea (to 280/100,000), gonococcal pelvic inflammatory disease (to 60/100,000), and primary and secondary syphilis (to 7/100,000). Other 1990 objectives are the neonatal herpes rate, the nongonococcal urethritis rate, the percentage of couples using condom or barrier methods, the percentage of high school students receiving adequate STD education, and the percentage of providers able to diagnose and treat STDs. The long-term effects of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are far worse for women than men, yet their diagnosis and treatment are not given the kind of prestige or importance in the medical-education setting that they deserve. For example, most prevention programs are directed at men, even though they are not as likely to suffer from cancer, destruction of reproduction organs or complications of pregnancy, including the threat to the unborn, resulting from an STD. It is because men are so much less effected by STD that the auth

Year

1998

Language

English

Publisher

McGraw-Hill Professional

Editions

6

Pages

1344

ISBN

9780070296886

Data source: Wikidata