CAMBRIDGE, England, May 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- An editorial in the
journal PLos Medicine calls for U.S. political and religious leaders to realign
research and policy for improved sexual health.
"There are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year in
the United States, at an estimated cost of $15.9 billion annually to the
healthcare system," the editorial said.
"Sexual health problems arise from curable and incurable sexually transmitted
infections, lack of access to contraceptives, lack of access to services and
unsafe abortion, and occur at the intersection of health, culture, religion and
politics."
Curable sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia
and trichomoniasis, cause a significant burden of disease in both high- and
low-income countries, the editorial says.
"Unmet contraceptive needs and unsafe sex both figure in the top 20 risk factors
for mortality and burden of disease," the editorial said.
Although in Western countries curable STDs may not seem a major threat to public
health, these diseases disproportionately affect the poor, young people and
ethnic minorities, and can cause acute illness, disability and death, pre-term
or low birth-weight babies, congenital birth defects, female infertility and
increased HIV transmission, the editorial said.
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