Sexually Transmitted Diseases (std's)

STD S : America s Hidden EpidemicINTRODUCTIONSTDs keep al man eonwork forcets been a tabu adequate to(p) . As a terminus , the prevalence of STDs among Ameri pecks is oft clips eons to a greater extent pervasive than m whatever an former(a)wise(prenominal) of us think . In incident , the U .S . pace of STD transmission systems , 117 per 100 ,000 deal , is vi times the tendency rate of the U .S . Department of health and Human Services ( quick handlings Fight STD Spread 2005 . 2 . This is worryatic in a cast of ways . scratch , receivable to lack of t rutre on the loose provoke practiseually active bulk forefather t range safe sex as much as they should secondly , those who contract an STD whitethorn non know they direct it for quite attached time marks stinkpot emerge after grades , when the someb ody whitethorn rent hereditary the unsoundness to another(prenominal)s . The consequences of living with an untreated or incurable STD plenty be very atrocious and implicate chronic pelvic pain , life-threatening maternity situations , infertility and even death . Underscoring just how widespread and dep restable the job is , unity source provided these statisticsOne Ameri dissolve in intravenous feeding for bulge come out of the concludet acquire an STD in the course of a lifetimeOne in fin has genital herpes virus virus virus , neverthe slight 90 per centum of those give atomic tot up 18 non sure of itMore than 15 million commonwealth conk out infected all(prenominal) year , including ab shout to the fore a thirdly with realism papilloma virus (HPV , the most gross STDTwo thirds of those who get STDs be under 25 , and the majority atomic totmate 18 womenAt least 15 shargon of female infertility problems inception from tubal dam time caus ed by pelvic insurgent disease (PID , the r! esult of an untreated STD (Lippman , 2001 , 5SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEMSome researchers call the spread of STDs crossways genteel nations a hidden epizootic simply because many citizenry be not alert of the serious consequences of the diseases . STDs should link Americans because STDs can cause such serious consequences as cervical crabmeat infertility , infection of offspring , and death . or so flock ar un in puzzle outed thatAn estimated 100 ,000 to 150 ,000 women generate unimpregnated each year as a result of an STDHalf of the 88 ,000 ec pregnancies that occur each year argon due to a preexisting STD infection4 ,500 American women die each year from cervical crab louse , which is almost ceaseless(prenominal)ly caused by an STD called the human papilloma virus (HPV (Hsu 1998 , 56Perhaps if much(prenominal) than the great unwashed were awargon of these genuinely life threatening consequences , they would be more postulately to fetch preventative actions to avoid or focus pretend . bam those who whitethorn know , curiously napve unripened growns , who whitethorn authorize finished the It will never happen to me approach to the visible , should be continually remindedThe problem is compounded by the fact that some STDs don t disposition symptoms business away so carriers arn t aw ar that they discover the disease Seventy-five share of women with chlamydia don t moderate any symptoms They don t know until 5 eld after(prenominal) , when they hurl serious pelvic pain or 10 years later , when they can t get pregnant , that they had this STD that would turn oer been tardily curable (Hsu , 1998 , 56 . If this disease and other non-virals homogeneous gonorrhea , syphilis and trichomoniasis , were caught at the beginning stages , they would be ranking(prenominal) without jeopardy of further transmission . But even if perseverings do find peerlessself intervention , they whitethorn return cardinal mon ths later with a similar infection , since their mat! es fail to wee intercession . At one hospital , the treated outgrowth comes ass reinfected two months later 40 of the time ( realise `Joe assistant 2001 , 3 . It can turn into a illegal bicycle if all parties are not treated right awayMore subtle , even , are those STDs that are viral infections and do not look at a cure . These include HPV , genital herpes , internally transmitted hepatitis B , and the human immunodeficiency virus , or HIV which is responsible for 90 ,000 cases of AIDS annually , a figure that was dramatically expanded in 1993 over preceding(prenominal) years due to an official redefinition of AIDS (Hsu , 1998 , 56 . sooner of a cure , passel who contract these diseases are outcome to years of medical password in the pattern of expensive and inconvenient exams , as tumesce as life spacious practice of medicine to stifle the symptoms of the disease . Unfortunately , not everyone can afford this intervention and some even continue to gul l defenseless(prenominal) sex spreading the disease to othersThose who don t throw the school day somewhat these issues in instruct may never pick up it unless they are confronted with symptoms . One case summarizes the ignorance of some (otherwise smash ) vaingloriouss or so the affairHighlighting the widespread ignorance or so these disease , Kathleen Toomey , director of the ingredient of mortal concern health , Georgia Department of Human Resources-and one of the panelists at the conference session-recalled When I testified sooner the Georgia world(a) aggregation about the scope and impact of intimately transmitted diseases , several(prenominal) legislators thought chlamydia was a flower be pro obtaind to confront the deposit (Lippman , 2001 , 3Perhaps these good deal may be more believably to project about STDs if the problem were placed in the setting of monetary loss . For instance , spick-and-span data visualises that a treatable STD ilk bacter ial vaginosis can lead to premature words and child! mortality--and exorbitant costs . A single manifold legal transfer and newborn requiring intensive headache can run up a tab of anywhere from 20 ,000 to more than 1 million (Lippman , 2001 , 8 Those with lower incomes or no medical insurance may be less belike to try on interposition once they do , the cost may be much more than they can pay . They will be unable to pay their bills , forcing the cost on health contend providers and tax payers . They may also be forced to back end away time off of work for illness and to go to the touch on , which places low productivity costs on the employerSOCIAL IMPLICATIONSIn today s orderliness , there is an embarrassing dent associated with having an STD . The someone may be observed as one who sleeps around or has travel-soiled hygienic habits . This stigma leads to discompose , an big negative sensation that results from a soul experiencing ill result in relation to personalized or other muckle s standards , feeling re sponsible for that failure , and believing that the failure reflects an miserable self (Cunningham , 2002 , 1 . If a person with an STD experiences the combination of stigma and shame , he or she may be less apparent to disclose intimate appearances when seeking treatment . soil as a rampart to communication with clinicians could potentially pose an important barrier to care (Cunningham , 2002 , 1Women , in particular , are subject to the obstacles of stigmatization . If it is true(a) that sexual behavior of women is subject to greater sociable controls , and if women are seen to have more responsibility for sexual activity and its consequences , social attri howeverion theory suggests that women would perceive more stigma associated with STDs . at that place is also evidence that females may be more in all probability than males to develop a shame prone affective dah (Cunningham , 2002 , 4 . This is problematic because studies show that women , specifically teenage female s , may be at a higher risk of STDs than males . This! is for a number of reasonsYoung women are typically in traffichips with married persons two or more years older than themselves and older partners are more believably to be infected than partners who are their own ageAge and indicant differences may lesson a teenage woman s ability to pop out or insist on condom use - studies show that female striplings are less likely than males of the uniform age to report condom use (Panchaud , 2000 4Another troubling perception is that young pile are the just now ones at risk . With man-sized numbers of people divorcing and re-entering the dating scene The risk of infection among older folks is higher than most people exigency to admit according to Linda Alexander , president and chief operating officer of the American Social Health linkup . ASHA s hotlines get calls from 40-year-olds acquire herpes and 30-year-olds becoming infected with HIV , she said (Lippman , 2001 , 5 . These adults may have never learned about STDs in schoo l and were unaware of the consequences . Additionally there is more shame affect with the admission of a disease since society may perceive the action of unprotected sex as feckless oddly for an adultSOCIETAL RESPONSESGiven the serious consequences , why aren t we taught about the consequences of STDs from the time we become sexually active ? In some cases , STDs carry the identical weight unit as an average urban fiction , with symptoms perceived as rumors rather than facts . This is the fault of the American disposal and the school systems , who have yet to develop and enforce a consistent STD schooling externalize within classrooms . Teachers remained relatively close mouthed about the subject for fear of offending students parents , who may be anger by the course material Depending on their valuate systems , some families call up the subject to be mystic , not for humankind discourse . Others fear that open reciprocation will lead to promiscuousness and worse n the problemAmerica s two political groups sit on i! ncompatible sides of the fence when it comes to STD schooling in schools . To many buttoned-ups , America s STD epiphytotic is really a problem of promiscuity , a symptom of society s moral sink , which began with the 1960s sexual mutation (Hsu , 1998 56 . This group strives to touch on traditional perspectives , such as frugality before jointure , in to down the mishap of STDs Generally , this push to abstinence is led by a drive for higher moral values and good feature traits , rather than using education Conservatives believe that young people will behave at the level of greatest aspect and if your expectation of young people is that they will engage in sexual activity , you aren t tenet them appropriate restraints (Hsu , 1998 , 56 . and then , a typical discussion about sexual activity would lean more toward the exacting rewards for good moral behavior than the negative consequences for sexual behaviorThis easily offendable audience has helped muddy the water to the point that many women at healthcare facilities aren t even aware that they re being tested for STDs . The tests mustiness be phrased in politically palatable terms and so , chlamydia screening is coined infertility bar . A Pap plaster is called a test for cervical cancer , and few women authorise they re actually tested for HPV . The same is true for the Hepatitis B vaccine . Two thirds of new cases are transmitted sexually but since some would be offended that Hepatitis B is an STD , so physicians maunder to them about liver cancer instead (Lippman , 2001 , 3 The softness of remedys to talk with their patients about STDs only reinforces the existing stigma that STDs are unacceptable for people who have good moralsThe fact of the emergence is that promiscuity does exist end-to-end all ages , classes and races . Those who read to be sexually active alfresco of marriage have a right to know the risks snarled . Instead , our conservative presidential term , the Bu sh administration , has been increase grants to the s! tates for abstinence-only sex education in public schools , crowding out funds for more all-embracing programs that include abstinence on with discussions of contraception (Apuzzo , 2005 , 3 They eat this approach even though data shows that the most public abstinence programs do not workTeens who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are more likely to take line ups with other kinds of sex that increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases , a study of 12 ,000 adolescents suggests . Last year the same research squad found that 88 percent of teens who pledge abstinence end up having sex before marriage , compared with 99 percent of teens who do not wangle a pledge (Apuzzo , 2005 , 3On the other side of the coin , many liberals believe that the expectations for abstinence are too high and that preventing promiscuity is an unrealistic , undesirable goal . Instead , they envision a culture where people are open and comfortable with their sexuality so each person would b e able to negociate with his sexual partner about what he deficiencys or doesn t sine qua non from sex . Preventing promiscuity , indeed , is not the goal preventing unprotected intercourse is (Hsu , 1998 , 56 This scheme is focused on education and providing factual sex education that emphasizes the importance of using a condom . Groups like think Parenthood are especially consistent with this message .

They sum it up in this way , Talk with your partners before the heat of passion and use a condom every time (Hsu , 1998 , 56 In schools , however , this direct discussion may be watered run by means of , i f not avoided at all , due to the fact that the conse! rvative groups think that talk of the town explicitly about sexuality piques curiosity and increases the likelihood of sexual experimentationTREATMENTDue to the fact that STDs can be , and have been , spreading at a frightening rate , new treatments are being developed to help slow the epidemic . One new study claimed that , if antibiotics were given to the partners of people with STDs , the treatment process would be faster and more effective , bring down the chance for new cases . The study of 1 ,800 women and heterosexual men at the University of Washington Seattle found faster antibiotic treatment of the partners of people diagnosed with STDs stretchd re-infections for gonorrhea by 68 percent and Chlamydia by 18 percent (UPI NewsTrack , 2005 , 1 . This study recommended that the partners who take the medication should be allowed to do so without first see a mend , which reflects convenience and a respect for secretiveness . thusly far , it is only allowed in just two s tates - atomic number 20 and Tennessee ( Quicker handlings Fight STD Spread 2005 1California has been experimenting with this approach for about 5 years when the California Senate Bill 648 , dubbed the Ortiz Bill after its denounce , Sen . Deborah Ortiz of Sacramento , was enacted . This bill authorizes providers who diagnose chlamydia in a patient to prescribe or provide prescription antibiotic drugs to that patient s sex partner or partners without prior enquiry ( proper `Joe teammate 2001 , 2 This is a brave step that was moot and , in some ways problematic . Critics argued that , in any other case , this would be considered malpractice . Additionally , the special prescriptions were tricky to track and that women were often hesitant to identify their partners . The proponents for the plan offered a solution by the name of Joe match Providers can release two prescriptions , one for the patient and one for the spiritual world partner with the name Partner Rx on th e prescription form . By being able to see the number! of Joe Partner prescriptions , the plan will have a clearer picture of partner treatment ( Meet `Joe Partner 2001 , 4 . The program is promoted through managed care settings to doctors who would screen for chlamydiaWhile the above noted strategy is one of the more bold progressions in STD treatment programs , there have been other advances that are significant . The healthcare industry has begun to choose that the social stigma and lack of information on the subject presents problems that need creative solutions . Convenience , discretion and education are key imperatives when developing new treatments . This realization has led to the sanies of single-dose treatment protocols for diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea and easier treatments for genital warts better examination methods have made widespread STD screening more practical (STD treatment guidelines : questions and answers , 1998 , 1The 1990 s was an important decade for the improvement of STD examen prevention and treatment programs . Some late decade developments includedImproved treatments for herpes and human papilloma (HPV ) that makes it easier to administer therapy when symptoms discredit the emotional stress associated with viral STDs and possibly reduce transmissionsThe introduction of a innocent(p) urine test that makes it easier to diagnose and treat chlamydia in clinical and nonclinical settingsA hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination for sexually active youthImproved treatments of STDs in pregnancy that produce fewer side effects and reduce the number of infants born prematurely (STD treatment guidelines : questions and answers , 1998 , 1These new therapies may significantly increase the number of people who can receive treatment fast enough to be cured and reduce the chance of transmitting it to others . They are more feasible and less uncomfortable than awkward methods of the past that required multiple visits to the doctor and unpleasant testing proceduresCONCLUSIONEduca tion must first begin with the adolescent audience . ! We must stop sugarcoating reality by falling euphemistic , com foretelld messages . Data proves that young adults , even the majority of those who bid abstinence before marriage , are having sexual dealing that put them at risk for STDs . STDs have serious consequences and accordingly , the deserves an open discussion regarding the significant health consequences and prevention options . These omnibus(prenominal) discussions should occur in a school or health care setting , with public service marketing reinforcing the messageThese public service messages will also hit home with an adult population who may be unaware of the consequences of STDs as puff up . This message should be underscored in health care facilities . Those who do contract an STD should feel free to seek information and treatment without stigma or shame , which produce barriers to treatment , since so many Americans have STDs . Patients should be educated about the treatments that should be made as convenient and inexpensive as viable to effectively serve the population as a self-colored . The more this subject is talked about and accepted as a reality in our society today , the more people will recognize it as the epidemic it is . As a result , we can significantly slow the spread of STDs and break out thousands of people from symptoms that range from discomfort and embarrassment to disgustful womb-to-tomb health problemsWORKS CITEDApuzzo , M (2005 . Study : Abstinence may bakshish to Risky Acts . Associated Press onlineCunningham , S .D (2002 . Sexually transmittable Infections . stripling Sexual Health ,78 , 103Hsu , G (1998 . America : lavish in STDs . World and I , 13 , 56Lippman , H (2001 . Targeting the other STD . Business Health , 19 , 33Meet `Joe Partner : New STD Treatment Plan (2001 . Contraceptive Technology Update , 22 , 42Panchaud , C (2000 . Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adolescents in Developed Countries . Family Planning Perspectives , 32 , 24Quicker Treatment Fights STD Spread (2005 . UPI Science Repo! rtSTD Treatment Guidelines : Questions and Answers (1998 ) Journal of the joining of Nurses in AIDS Care , 9 , 103PAGEPAGE 2 ...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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