Notes on currently used public health measures for sexually transmitted diseases

Traditional public health measures for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been to create laws that allow the society to investigate and treat assumed cases of STD. Such laws often include STD that in many communities are rare, but left out very common ones, e.g., genital chlamydial and human papillomavirus infection. However, such laws do not often stress the rights of infected persons to receive counseling, confidentiality, and help to notify the partner(s) if asked for. Although, free health care may be provided at venereal (STD) clinics, this is not true for many other types of clinics or at private clinicians, thereby restricting the choice of physician. In spite of partner notification being a must to successfully combat any STD epidemic of treatable STD, this measure is far from regularly undertaken. The introduction of DNA-based tests have provided new sensitive means for detection STD-infections by testing urine. Screening such samples for STD agents has proven cost beneficial in most societies. Treatment recommendations for STD ought to be accompanied by making suitable drugs available at prices that can be paid by affected persons or being free of charge (which may be important for teenagers and others without income). It is important that health authorities constantly update treatment recommendations.