Abstract

PIP: While the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to destroy lives throughout the world, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) also remain a major public health problem. Both HIV/AIDS and STDs have a disproportionate impact on developing countries and are major deterrents to social and economic development. HIV/AIDS is more readily transmitted in the presence of ulcerative STDs, and behaviors that place individuals at risk of STDs also increase risk of HIV/AIDS. Effective management of STDs can be considered a major strategy in controlling the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS. In order to control STDs in a given population, it is important to understand such aspects as how well a particular society can detect asymptomatic infection, how many people receive inadequate treatment, the effectiveness of STD management, the cost of drugs, and the success of partner notification. Because it is difficult to control STDS effectively, most health systems simply treat symptomatic disease. A new prevention approach must be developed that is centered on people and that will emphasize individual responsibility in making decisions about sexual behavior. Responsible behavior depends upon community support and education to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to avoid risks. The public health package created by the World Health Organization for STD control includes promotion of safer sexual behavior (including condom use), provision of comprehensive case management, specific interventions for high-risk populations, promotion of appropriate health care-seeking behavior, case finding for syphilis during pregnancy, and prophylaxis of ophthalmia neonatorum. Governments and policymakers must ask whether they are doing enough to prevent and control the spread of STDs and HIV/AIDS.