WHO has just released a statement about women's health which should be read by all of us in public health.
Globally, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services have resulted in maternal deaths and rising numbers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly in developing countries. WHO estimates that 340 million new cases of sexually transmitted bacterial infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea occur annually in people aged 15 - 49. Many are untreated because of lack of access to services. In addition, millions of cases of viral infection, including HIV, occur every year. The sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is closely associated with cervical cancer, which is diagnosed in more than 490 000 women and causes 240 000 deaths every year.
While this may be true globally, it is just as true in the US and other 'advanced' countries which give little support to prevention of STDs and prefer to focus on treatment.
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