August 8, 2006
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- CDC releases guidelines for the prevention and treatment
of sexually transmitted diseases
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August 8, 2006
CDC RELEASES GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SEXUALLY
On August 4, 2006, CDC published "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment
Guidelines, 2006," in MMWR's Recommendations and Reports.
Excerpts from the summary are reprinted below.
These guidelines for the treatment of persons who have sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) were developed by CDC after consultation with a group of
professionals knowledgeable in the field of STDs who met in Atlanta,
Georgia, during April 19–21, 2005. The information in this report updates
the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2002 (MMWR
2002;51[No. RR-6]). Included in these updated guidelines are an expanded
diagnostic evaluation for cervicitis and trichomoniasis. . . revised
discussion concerning the sexual transmission of hepatitis C; postexposure
prophylaxis after sexual assault; and an expanded discussion of STD
Excerpts from the introduction and methods sections are reprinted below.
Physicians and other healthcare providers play a critical role in preventing
and treating sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These guidelines for the
treatment of STDs are intended to assist with that effort. Although these
guidelines emphasize treatment, prevention strategies and diagnostic
recommendations also are discussed. . .
. . . These recommendations were developed in consultation with public and
private sector professionals knowledgeable in the treatment of persons with
STDs. The recommendations are applicable to various patient-care settings,
including family planning clinics, private physicians' offices, managed care
organizations, and other primary-care facilities.
These recommendations are meant to serve as a source of clinical guidance:
healthcare providers should always consider the individual clinical
circumstances of each person in the context of local disease prevalence.
These guidelines focus on the treatment and counseling of individual persons
and do not address other community services and interventions that are
important in STD/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention.
The guidelines include (page numbers refer to the PDF version)
Clinical prevention guidance, including STD/HIV prevention counseling,
prevention methods, partner management, and reporting and confidentiality
The latest information on the presentation, appropriate screening, and
treatment of STDs in special populations, including pregnant women,
adolescents, children, men who have sex with men, and women who have sex
with women (page 6)
Use of preexposure vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis
A virus (HAV), and human papillomavirus (HPV) (pages 4 and 69)
Details for properly managing HBsAg-positive pregnant women under "Special
Populations" early in the document (page 6) and under "Hepatitis B" late
in the document (page 71)
Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection,
including a revised discussion concerning the sexual transmission of HCV
Recommendations for evaluation for sexually transmitted infections in
adult, adolescent, and child victims of sexual assault/abuse, including
guidelines for initial and follow-up evaluations and possible postexposure
prophylaxis (including hepatitis B vaccination) (page 80)
Over 18 million cases of STDs occur in the United States each year, with a
disproportionate share among young people and racial and ethnic minority
populations. The estimated annual direct medical costs of treating STDs and
their sequelae are $13 billion. These 2006 guidelines, which update
guidelines published in 2002, are an important tool to address this major
public health challenge.
To download "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2006," in
ready-to-print (PDF) format, go to:
To access a web-text (HTML) version of the document, go to:
Alternatively, you can obtain a print copy by calling CDC's National
Prevention Information Network at (800) 458-5231 (M-F 9am-8pm ET).
To read the Dear Colleague letter announcing the release of the 2006 STD
guidelines, go to:
The guidelines, letter, and other resources can all be accessed from CDC's
STD treatment guidelines web page at