Community understanding and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

In spite of the various attempts by health care workers to reduce the morbidity and mortality of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), more than 15 million persons acquire STDs each year in the United States. The situation is more serious in developing countries and, in particular, Africa and Southeast Asia. The causes of the increase in STDs are many, but we believe that alterations in family structures, drug and alcohol addiction, wars and mobilization of armies and movement of populations, in addition to change in sexual behaviors and lax morality are the main ones. Education, counseling, and community understanding of the risks of STDs are very essential factors in prevention and control. Physicians need to recognize the manifestations of STDSs and start the treatment as early as possible, but at the same time, more efforts are needed for prevention.