Hilary Hinds Kitasei

About the author: Hilary Hinds Kitasei is a freelance writer who reports frequently on health issues.

The American public health approach to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is based on the outmoded assumption that men are the primary victims. But STDs are also a serious health problem for women. Women are at a higher risk than men for being infected in any single sexual encounter and are more likely than men to suffer long-term complications. Many cases of STDs among women go undiagnosed and untreated because the women show no immediate symptoms and because doctors fail to detect their condition. Public funding for STD treatment and prevention must be increased and targeted toward women, and doctors and patients must be educated about...