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- Title
Confronting a Hidden Epidemic: The Institute of Medicine's Report on Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
- Authors
Donovan, Patricia
- Abstract
This article focuses on sexually transmitted diseases. An estimated 12 million Americans acquire a sexually transmitted disease (STD) every year. More than 25 different infectious organisms can be transmitted sexually, and five STDs--chlamydia, gonorrhea, AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis B--are among the country's 10 most frequently reported infections. If detected and treated at an early stage, many STDS are curable. However, others are not: more than 55 million Americans are believed to be infected with an incurable viral disease such as genital herpes or human papillomavirus (HPV). Once infected, individuals are forever at risk of transmitting these diseases to their sexual partners. Women are more likely than men to become infected with an STD, and because they are less likely to have symptoms, women typically suffer more severe health consequences than do men. Cervical cancer, for example, which is linked to some strains of HPV, kills more than 4,500 women each year. Besides their enormous impact on individuals, these infections also create a huge financial burden for the country.
- Subjects
SEXUALLY transmitted diseases; INFECTION; CERVICAL cancer; CHLAMYDIA; SYPHILIS; GONORRHEA
- Publication
Family Planning Perspectives, 1997, Vol 29, Issue 2, p87
- ISSN
0014-7354
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/2953368