According to recent estimates, the global incidence rate for curable sexual transmitted infections (STIs) per year, such as those with Treponema pallidum (Syphilis), Neisseria gonorrhoea (Gonorrhea), Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis (Trichomoniasis), is more than 350 million cases. Viral sexual transmitted infections show similar rates and infections with Herpex simplex type 2 only exceed an estimated prevalence rate of 415 million cases.
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published its Global Health Sector Strategy on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2016–2021 – with the overarching objective of ending STIs as a public health problem. Addressing several issues in this field, the WHO paper also emphasized that early diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections, including those without symptoms, is the best opportunity for effective medical treatment and support, and for preventing further transmission.
