CE: Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States: Overview and Update.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the most common infectious diseases in the United States. They have enormous human consequences, including severe reproductive complications, neonatal injury, and death; and because STIs are associated with social stigma, they also have substantial psychological impact. The economic consequences are also enormous: it's estimated that STIs cost the nation about $16 billion in annual health care costs. All communities are affected, although significant racial, ethnic, and other disparities persist. Nurses play a critical role in educating patients on STIs, screening for disease, and providing treatment. Nurses can also help minimize the impact of social stigma by providing informed, confidential, and sensitive care, and by promoting sexual health. This article provides an overview of the symptoms, screening methods, and treatment recommendations for the most common STIs in the United States and describes the most recent relevant findings in order to inform nursing practice.
Hayley Mark is an associate professor and Amit Dhir is a master's student in the Department of Community-Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD. Callie Roth is a research nurse at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California San Francisco. Contact author: Hayley Mark, hmark1@jhu.edu. The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult