Paul Quinn - Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Your Questions Answered (Q&A Health Guides)

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Copyright 2018 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Quinn, Paul, 1971 author.

Title: Sexually transmitted diseases : your questions answered / Paul Quinn.

Description: Santa Barbara, California : Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2018] | Series: Q&A health guides | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017046441 (print) | LCCN 2017048727 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440853173 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440853166 (print : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Sexually transmitted diseases.

Classification: LCC RA644.V4 (ebook) | LCC RA644.V4 Q87 2018 (print) | DDC 616.95dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017046441

ISBN: 978-1-4408-5316-6 (print)

978-1-4408-5317-3 (eBook)

222120191812345

This book is also available as an eBook.

Greenwood
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC

ABC-CLIO, LLC
130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
Santa Barbara, California 931161911
www.abc-clio.com

This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

For Mom and David

All of us have questions about our health. Is this normal? Should I be doing something differently? Who should I talk to about my concerns? And our modern world is full of answers. Thanks to the Internet, theres a wealth of information at our fingertips, from forums where people can share their personal experiences to Wikipedia articles to the full text of medical studies. But finding the right information can be an intimidating and difficult tasksome sources are written at too high a level, others have been oversimplified, while still others are heavily biased or simply inaccurate.

Q&A Health Guides address the needs of readers who want accurate, concise answers to their health questions, authored by reputable and objective experts, and written in clear and easy-to-understand language. This series focuses on the topics that matter most to young adult readers, including various aspects of physical and emotional well-being, as well as other components of a healthy lifestyle. These guides will also serve as a valuable tool for parents, school counselors, and others who may need to answer teens health questions.

All books in the series follow the same format to make finding information quick an easy. Each volume begins with an essay on health literacy and why it is so important when it comes to gathering and evaluating health information. Next, the top five myths and misconceptions that surround the topic are dispelled. The heart of each guide is a collection of questions and answers, organized thematically. A selection of five case studies provides real-world examples to illuminate key concepts. Rounding out each volume is a directory of resources, glossary, and index.

It is our hope that the books in this series will not only provide valuable information but will also help guide readers toward a lifetime of healthy decision making.

This work would not be possible without the support and encouragement from my family, friends, and colleagues. Specifically, sincere thanks and appreciation to Eileen Guidice, David Gilsenan, Maggie, Tina Neri-Badame, Gregory Locoparra, Denise Mojica, Mary Quinn, Kelly Greco, John and Mindy Gilsenan, Mike and Mary Lanni, Christine Lanni, Michael Lanni and Alyssa DeJoy, John and Gina Nicoletti-Gilsenan, Kate and Marwan Amaisse, Matt Gilsenan, and the late Gladys Gilsenan. Additionally, Maryanne Hedrick, Alex Keomurjian, Larry Lane, Joel Kunkel, Jim McCoy, Ian Klein, and the Boys of 96 Teal were in my corner to cheer me on to complete this book.

Creating this book would not have been possible without key people who worked with me to inspire the idea, make necessary connections, and develop ideas. I am extremely grateful to Anthony Chiffolo, Maxine Taylor, and Lettie Conrad for their literary and publishing expertise and direction.

Inspiration comes in many forms, so I remain forever grateful to the thousands of men and women whom I had the privilege to care for, and care about, as my patients over two decades of nursing and midwifery practice. They, above all else, inspire me. Thank you for sharing your lives and stories with me that left a permanent mark within my soul.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise globally. Regardless of advances in science, technology, or pharmaceuticals, an estimated 19.7 million STDs are diagnosed each year in the United States alone. This translates, then, to mean that approximately 1 out of 4 teens will contract an STD, or 1 out of 2 sexually active persons, overall, will contract an STD by age 25. These staggering statistics, then, demonstrate the need for the development of targeted tactics to reduce the overall incidence and prevalence of STDs internationally.

Education has been highlighted as a key strategy toward reducing, or eliminating, STDs. In the modern age, the explosion of information available on the Internet has been both a benefit and a hindrance to combatting STDs. On one hand, there is an abundance of information available if one were to explore an STD or a set of specific symptoms. Conversely, not all the information on the Internet is factual, accurate, or applicable to specific diseases or symptoms. Further, the suggestions for care, treatment, or prevention are often vague, doing little to reduce the fear or stigma associated with actual or potential STDs.

The purpose of this book, then, is to provide information, and education, in a simple format regarding each of the individual STDs, their signs or symptoms, and potential treatment plan. STDs carry an unnecessary fear or stigma for the person, or partner(s), impacted by one. The time has arrived to abolish those sentiments and refocus the emphasis of STDs toward prevention, early identification, control of transmission, and the development of an individualized, comprehensive treatment plan. This book, then, answers the questions many people are afraid, or embarrassed, to ask using the most recent, accurate, scientific evidence available in easy-to-understand language.