STD ( sexually transmitted disease ) or STI ( sexually transmitted infection ) : Should we choose ? Janet

1. Clinical foundation of the problem Each of the terms—“sexual(ly)”, “transmitted”, “disease”, and “infection”—is problematic independently, as this study will show. Moreover, co-occurring variants, used as synonyms in English medical articles worldwide, aggravate the problem. The purpose of this study is to propose a single term that can stimulate discussion about whether the co-occurring variants are clinically and linguistically justifiable—especially now, when STDs/STIs have become a global health problem, and public health agencies in every country are scrambling to educate their citizens. [Until the presentation advances to the point where the question posed in the title can be definitively answered, I’ll use the expression “STD/STI” or the terms “illness(es)” and “condition(s)”.] The predisposing epidemiologic context will first be clarified, for it sheds light on two of the problematic terms: chiefly “transmitted” but also “sexual(ly)”. (Section 3 discussed “infection” and “disease”.) The example that immediately follows may at first glance appear to be irrelevant, but it is essential in understanding the epidemiological context.