SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDs), also called venereal diseases, are a varied group of more than twenty illnesses that are classified together because they are passed from person to person primarily by sexual contact. Some, such as syphilis and gonorrhea, are ancient afflictions. Some, notably HIV/AIDS, have been identified only in recent decades. Some cause mild, acute symptoms and some are life-threatening. They are caused by many different infectious organisms and treated in different ways. Together, however, they are among the most common diseases in the United States. Since 1995, five of the top ten most commonly reported diseases have been STDs, representing up to 87 percent of the total reported cases of all ten diseases. STDs are also the cause of growing alarm among the medical and public health community, not only because of their serious effects and complications but because...