STD Epidemic.The U.S. has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely (STDs) in the world, according to the Institute of Medicine. Twelve million people in the U.S., one-fourth of them adolescents, get STDs each year, a rate 50 to 100 times greater than other developed nations. STDs include not just AIDS, the most widely known, but also gonorrhea gonorrhea (gŏnərē`ə), common infectious disease caused by a bacterium (Neisseria gonorrhoeae), involving chiefly the mucous membranes of the genitourinary tract. , syphilis, herpes, viral hepatitis, human papillomavirus (which can cause cervical cancer), and mycoplasma mycoplasma Any of the bacteria that make up the genus Mycoplasma. They are among the smallest of bacterial organisms. The cell varies from a spherical or pear shape to that of a slender branched filament. (which can cause urethritis Urethritis Definition Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra that is usually caused by an infection. Description The urethra is the canal that moves urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. ). The Institute of Medicine is concerned that a moralistic approach to STDs in this country deters people from seeking information and treatment. -- Science News, 11/30/96 |
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