Venereal Disease Information

The United States has the dubious distinction of leading the industrialized world in overall rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), with 12 million new cases annually. About 3 million teenagers contract an STD each year, and many will have long-term health problems as a result. Women and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to these diseases and their health consequences. In addition, STDs increase the risk of HIV transmission. The Hidden Epidemic examines the scope of sexually transmitted infections in the United States and provides a critical assessment of the nation's response to this public health crisis. The book identifies the components of an effective national STD prevention and control strategy and provides direction for an appropriate response to the epidemic. Recommendations for improving public awareness and education, reaching women and adolescents, integrating public health programs, training health care professionals, modifying messages from the mass media, and supporting future research are included. The book documents the epidemiological dimensions and the economic and social costs of STDs, describing them as "a secret epidemic" with tremendous consequences. The committee frankly discusses the confusing and often hypocritical nature of how Americans deal with issues regarding sexualityâ€"the conflicting messages conveyed in the mass media, the reluctance to promote condom use, the controversy over sex education for teenagers, and the issue of personal blame. The Hidden Epidemic identifies key elements of effective, culturally appropriate programs to promote healthy behavior by adolescents and adults. It examines the problem of fragmentation in STD services and provides examples of communities that have formed partnerships between stakeholders to develop integrated approaches. The committee's recommendations provide a practical foundation on which to build an integrated national program to help young people and adults develop habits of healthy sexuality. The Hidden Epidemic was written for both health care professionals and people without a medical background and will be indispensable to anyone concerned about preventing and controlling STDs.

The Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, 4th Edition, by Drs. Stephen A. Morse, King K. Holmes, Adele A. Moreland, MD, and Ronald C. Ballard, provides you with an exclusive gallery of STD and AIDS images so you can better diagnose and treat these diseases. Approximately 1,100 unique images – most in full color and 30% new to this edition – depict the clinical signs associated with each type of infection. You’ll also find expert guidance on new vaccines, screening techniques, treatment guidelines, and best practices in the field. Get expert advice on the tests available to reach a definitive diagnosis and review therapeutic options, treatment guidelines, prevention strategies, and management of complications. Access appendices on the selection and evaluation of diagnostic tests, quality control, and test technologies. Effectively diagnose all types of STDs and HIV/AIDS with approximately 1,100 images—most in full color and more than 30% new to this edition―that depict the epidemiology as well as the clinical manifestations of these diseases. Effectively utilize new vaccines for HPV and Hepatitis B, new screening tests for Chlamydia, new drugs under development, new treatment guidelines and best practices in HIV screening, and much more.

The WHO global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections, 2016–2021, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2016, aims to eliminate STIs as a public health threat by 2030. In 2019, WHO published estimates of new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Recent changes in the epidemiology of STIs and progress in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of STIs and HIV have necessitated changes in approaches to STI prevention and management. To address these STIs, the most widely used approach in clinical settings is the syndromic management of STIs. In most resource-limited settings, the syndromic management flow charts are still the standard of care where laboratory diagnosis is not available or is hard to access. The objectives of these guidelines are to provide updated, evidence-informed clinical and practical recommendations on the case management of people with symptoms of STIs; and to support countries in updating their national guidelines for the case management of people with symptoms of STIs. These guidelines include the management of symptomatic infections related to urethral discharge syndrome, including persistent urethral discharge syndrome; vaginal discharge syndrome, including persistent vaginal discharge; anorectal infection; genital ulcer disease syndrome; and lower abdominal pain syndrome. These guidelines are intended for programme managers for STI prevention and control at the national level and the health-care providers at the frontline – primary, secondary and tertiary health care.