Since the Institute of Medicine produced it’s summary report on them while meeting in Washington D.C. in 1997, STDs have often been referred to as ”hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic consequences”. As the study indicated, there is a steady reluctance to talk about them openly, just as there is with any type of sexual health matter. As you can imagine, the ramifications of any issue with enormous consequences can only be magnified when there are so many people who refuse to even acknowledge it as an issue. If efforts to quell the rising tide of STD infections are going to succeed, then a many-sided approach will be necessary, starting with a introductory understanding of the many issues in play .
Who is affected by STDs?
One of the reasons why the prevention of STDs is not a popular topic is due to the fact that most people think of it as an personal issue. They firmly believe that only those people engaging in risky behaviors or those already infected have a vested interest. What they don’t realize is that there is also an indirect affect upon us as a community, regardless of whether or not we or someone we know has an STD. Long-term medical consequences, complications with pregnancies, and medical care for the uninsured are just a few of the ways that all of us are under this epidemic’s effect.
What makes this topic “hidden”?
As the opening paragraph discusses, our society, for one reason or another, continues to resist the need to discuss anything that has to do with sexuality or sexual openness. As a social topic it can be a difficult issue to touch upon, and our biological makeup might also make us predisposed to avoid it altogether. However, another reason for its hidden nature is the behavior of STDs themselves.
It is common for most STD infections that no symptoms or signs are apparent at all. For example, Chlamydia can be completely free of any signs in half of infected men, and that figure goes up to a staggering seventy-five percent for infected women. The AIDS causing virus, HIV, can lie undetected for years depending upon a person’s immune system, and those infected with genital herpes may only have sporadic outbreaks. When an STD does show signs, far too often those symptoms are the same as many common illnesses, such as a flu or common cold. Syphilis has often referred to as “the great imitator” for this very reason. Since we have become so used to performing self diagnosis using the internet, it’s easy for those at risk to dissuade themselves from taking any action when they feel that no action is necessary.
What can be done to help?
Successful prevention of STD transmissions will require open dialogue and communication. We must be willing to acknowledge this growing threat to our society, and to not apply any negative stigmas or stereotypes to those seeking help and information. Anyone who is sexually active should make regular STD testing and HIV testing a part of their sexual health plan, and those responsible actions need to be supported by those who may not be active themselves. Instead of disparaging someone looking for an STD testing center, we should encourage and applaud them for helping quell the growth of what surely affects us all. Whether we like it or not, we are all affected by other people’s actions, and in this case, inactions as well.
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