[Sexually transmitted diseases: a public health issue]

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are a main problem in the public health policy. The importance of these diseases is not only limited to their high incidence but also to the complications they may cause and to their role in the HIV transmission. Control of STDs represents one of the main aims of the World Health Organization. For many years STDs were thought to have been almost completely eliminated; instead, recently the rates of STDs are increasing. This has prompted the search for control strategies, that, however, have shown to be difficult to implement. For this reason, prevention programs based on promotion of responsible sexual behaviour, early diagnosis and treatment, and reduction of infectiousness, have been implemented in many countries.