Events

Since the early years of the 20th century, STD prevention efforts have been a cornerstone of communicable disease control programs. While this longstanding focus has resulted in many public health successes, STDs continue to have substantial population impact. Today’s economic crisis demands new considerations in approaching all aspects of public health, including STD prevention.

• It is more apparent than ever that the challenges of STD prevention cannot be separated from problems arising from our fragmented health care system with its rising costs and unequal access.
• On-going challenges in prevention of STDs, such as racial disparities in disease rates, call for public health programs to find new approaches that can reach disproportionately affected populations.
• It is essential to find ways to move beyond our longstanding societal reticence to openly discuss sexual health issues and to normalize conversations around STD prevention.  

With these ongoing challenges, the imperative both to strengthen existing efforts and to find new approaches to lessen the burden of STDs on our society could not be greater. As our nation’s leaders take bold steps to optimize the health of our citizens, so too must we play our part in creatively and effectively responding to STDs. This biennial conference provides a critical opportunity to listen, to learn, and to challenge ourselves to develop these much-needed responses.