Sexually transmitted diseases
An STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) is the collective term for bacterial, viral and parasitic infections that are acquired sexually.
STDs include chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital warts, genital herpes, scabies, pubic lice (crabs), hepatitis and HIV. They’re also called STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections).
Because of increasing rates of unsafe sexual practices in the community – especially in younger people – the rates of STD infections are rising. For example, the numbers of chlamydia (the most common STD in Australia) cases have tripled in the past 10 years. More than 61,000 people were diagnosed in 2009 and more than half those infected were aged 20 to 29 and a quarter were aged under 19. Also the presence of an untreated STD can also increase the risk acquiring other STDs including HIV by a factor of up to 10.