The American Social Health Association celebrates 80 years of fighting sexually transmitted diseases

The American Social Health Association (ASHA) can look back on 80 years of service as the only national nongovernmental organization devoted exclusively to prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The valuable contributions made by physicians since the agency's founding in 1914 are noted and gratefully acknowledged. To commemorate its 80th anniversary, ASHA recently published a history that discusses the movements leading to ASHA's founding, the organization's work with the military during the World Wars, the changing face of STD control once penicillin became widely available in the 1940s, and the response to newly identified infections in recent decades. It also lists ASHA's founders, board presidents, executive directors, and recipients of the William Freeman Snow Award for outstanding contributions in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. The history was written by Kay Flaminio and David Klaassen of the ASHA Archive. This article summarizing ASHA's history was written especially for the Journal by Sam A. Nixon and Kay Flaminio. Nixon, a long-time member of the Southern Medical Association, recently retired as an associate network medical director of BlueCross BlueShield of Texas. He has maintained an interest in STD prevention and the work of the ASHA for many years, currently serving as the vice chair of ASHA's board of directors. Kay Flaminio is a member of the staff of ASHA.