Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - May 27, 2009
"There are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year in the United States, at an estimated cost of $15.9 billion annually to the healthcare system," the editorial said.
"Sexual health problems arise from curable and incurable sexually transmitted infections, lack of access to contraceptives, lack of access to services and unsafe abortion, and occur at the intersection of health, culture, religion and politics."
Curable sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia and trichomoniasis, cause a significant burden of disease in both high- and low-income countries, the editorial says.
"Unmet contraceptive needs and unsafe sex both figure in the top 20 risk factors for mortality and burden of disease," the editorial said.
Although in Western countries curable STDs may not seem a major threat to public health, these diseases disproportionately affect the poor, young people and ethnic minorities, and can cause acute illness, disability and death, pre-term or low birth-weight babies, congenital birth defects, female infertility and increased HIV transmission, the editorial said.
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