It really is quite ironic that venereal is a word rooted from Latin for Venus. A word often associated with L-O-V-E. A love bug. The word disease literally is a body in dis-ease. Homeostasis in a state of un-ease. Diseased. .
In the 1960s up to 20 diseases were recognized as being transmitted by sexual contact, and the term "sexually transmitted disease" came into use. .
Just before and after World War II, the U.S. government encouraged publicity on the matter of STDs in the hopes that the population would realize the gravity of these new diseases. In 1937, then U.S. Surgeon General Thomas Parran initiated a nationwide campaign to educate the public about the causes and cures of venereal disease. Numbers of new cases declined each year until the 1950s, when cases rose among teens and young adults. In 1998, concerned by high rates of genital herpes, and chlamydia, as well as reports of syphilis and gonorrhea, the CDC began widespread campaigns to combat STDs. .
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are among the most common infectious diseases in the United States today. They affect more than 13 million people each year. These diseases do not prejudice against race, gender or age. All backgrounds are affected and nearly two-thirds of STDs occur in persons under 25 years old. The total health costs in the United States alone are in excess of $10 billion. .
TYPES OF BACTERIAL SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES.
CHLAMYDIA.
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States today. The highest rates of infection occur in 15 to 19-year olds. Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium, Chlamydial trachomatis. It is spread during oral, vaginal and anal sex. When a person becomes infected with Chlamydia it often goes unnoticed due to the lack of severe symptoms. Many times, a discharge or stinging during urination will be the only signs of infection and are mistaken as perhaps a urinary infection and ignored entirely.