Sexually transmitted diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean

ABSTRACT

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have long been known for their great impact on health. In 1995, there were an estimated 333 million new cases of curable STDs among adults around the world (1). The prevalence of STDs in many developing countries, including those of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), is extremely high. In the AIDS era there is an urgent need to adequately control and manage these diseases. A delay in diagnosing and treating STDs can lead to chronic complications and irreversible sequelae. Women and children suffer the main consequences. In women, the most serious consequences are acute and chronic pelvic inflammatory diseases, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and cervical cancer. Infection during pregnancy may cause spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, low birthweight, congenital syphilis, and opthalmia neonatorum. There is an urgent need to improve STD surveillance and prevention in the LAC nations. This paper intends to help in that effort by reviewing relevant STD prevalence and incidence of gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis in Latin America and the Caribbean (AU)