STI precention in Local Public Health: from theory to practice

Abstract

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) have been recognized as a major public health problem for many years. It is estimated that, worldwide, over 340 million new cases of curable STIs – syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas – occur every year in men and women aged 15-49 years. Annually, millions of viral STIs can also be attributed to HIV (2.6 million new cases in 2009, human herpes viruses, human papilloma viruses and hepatitis B virus. In the Netherlands risks groups for STI are young heterosexual people, wi