It is no secret that the number of individuals that suffer from sexually transmitted infections is astronomically high. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing on an annual basis and according to the CDC, majority of the population impacted is between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. STI’s are not only a physical burden, but also a significant financial burden as well. Healthy People 2020 suggests that roughly $20 billion dollars is spent annually to cover the cost of healthcare for infected individuals. Despite the overwhelming impact that these organisms have on our communities, several factors that contribute to disease development should be evaluated in order to ensure appropriate measures are being taken to preserve public health.
A few biological factors that should be examined in preventing the spread of disease are age, gender, and the nature of the disease course. As previously stated, adolescents and young adults are disproportionately affected by STI’s than other members of the population. In my opinion, this evidence may suggest that this age group has a general lack of knowledge or awareness of STI transmission and its impact on individual health. Considering the implementation of STI education in health and wellness courses in some middle and high schools, public health officials and educators may have had a similar line of thought… Introducing the idea of diseases that can be transmitted sexually at an earlier age may encourage adolescents and young adults to make wiser decisions. However, as someone that endured many lessons on sexually transmitted infections in middle and high school, I find it interesting that the nature of each disease course was rarely discussed. Many educators failed to address the fact that some individuals may have the disease and not present symptoms, but are still capable of transmitting the disease to someone else. While this material may seem difficult to digest or rather heavy for individuals of this age group to understand, this information is arguably one of the most important concepts to understand in order to protect ourselves against disease acquisition.
In addition to the biological factors, I believe it is necessary to consider the socioeconomic implications of these diseases that puts marginalized groups of people more at risk for developing infection. People that are not as financially stable and lack access to healthcare are much more disadvantaged than people that exhibit financial wellness and have accessibility to healthcare. Healthy People 2020 suggests that individuals that are categorized as more at risk are more likely to engage in “high risk sexual behavior”. These individuals are also less likely to have access to preventive care, resources for early detection, various treatment options, and follow-up care. Fortunately, numerous measures have been taken to alleviate disparities between marginalized groups of people, particularly in education systems such as grade school and college campuses where resources are more likely to be provided at no cost to the individual.
This public health issue is not just an issue for marginalized groups or young adults to deal with. It is the collective responsibility of the individual, parents, educators, and public health officials to continue to make strides toward reducing the number of sexually transmitted infections that occur each year.
Marvelous Microogranisms 