Sexually Transmitted Disease (Std):
Also called venereal disease (VD) (an older public health term) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sexually transmitted diseases are infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact. In addition to the "traditional" STDs (syphilis and gonorrhea), the spectrum of STDs now includes HIV infection, which causes AIDS; Chlamydia trachomatis infections; human papilloma virus (HPV) infection; genital herpes; chancroid; genital mycoplasmas; hepatitis B; trichomoniasis; enteric infections; and ectoparasitic diseases (i.e., diseases caused by organisms that live on the outside of the host's body). The complexity and scope of STDs have increased dramatically since the 1980s; more than 20 micro-organisms and syndromes are now recognized as belonging in this category.
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