Winnable Battles: HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections

In 2010, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began their efforts in addressing emerging public health challenges with their “Winnable Battles”. Led by CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, along with other CDC leaders, the Winnable Battles was a call to arms for all public health professionals to take notice to some of the leading causes of death and disability, including providing efficient strategies of intervention.  The CDC’s Winnable Battles detailed the extensive impact that these areas have on the overall health of the public, as well as providing evidence-based strategies to address the challenges presented in each of these areas. Chosen based on the magnitude of health issues and the ability to make important headway in improvement, the CDC’s Winnable Battles include: Healthcare-Associated Infections; Tobacco; Teen Pregnancy; Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity; and HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections

Diseases that are spread through sexual contact are typically referred to as sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. In recent years, many experts in the field of public health have suggested replacing the term STD with a new term, sexually transmitted infection (STI). The idea of “disease”, as in STD, suggests a clear medical problem, typically with signs or symptoms. Several of the most common STDs have no signs or symptoms, or have mild signs and symptoms that can be easily overlooked. The sexually transmitted virus or bacteria can be described as creating “infection”, which may or may not result in the “disease”. This is true of chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and human papillomavirus (HPV).

The New England Journal of Medicine states that the main difference between the two categories of sexually transmitted diseases is their cause- bacterial STDs are caused by bacteria and viral STDs are caused by viruses. As a result of being caused by different microorganisms, bacterial and viral STDs vary in their treatment. Bacterial STDs, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, are often cured with antibiotics. The “Four H’s”, HIV, HPV, herpes, and hepatitis, have no cure, but their symptoms can be alleviated with treatment.

·         Nearly half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed each year are among young people aged15-24 years.

·         Youth make up 7% of the more than 1 million people living in the US with HIV, with the greatest number of infections occurring among gay and bisexual youth.

·         Nearly half of all new infections among youth occur in African American males.

·         There is an estimated 1 million people living with HIV in the United States while as many as one in five Americans are unaware of their infection.

The CDC has identified HIV/STI prevention as a Winnable Battle by preventing new HIV infections and ensuring quality health care for all persons living with HIV. By working closely with public health partners, progress has been made by reducing health disparities and the overall health burden from those suffering from these diseases and conditions (4). Promoting good health and preventing the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections will in the end, cost the public less money, as well as improve the quality of life, for the individual.

Group 11:    N. Schwann, R. Newell, L. Laird, D. Bolitho, A. Fleetwood