Sexually transmitted diseases in travelers

Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is a low priority among travel clinic services, despite increasing evidence that travelers have an increased risk of acquiring such infections. A proportion of 5%-50% of shor t-term travelers engage in casual sex while abroad, and this rate is even h igher among long-term travelers. Few publications are available on STD prev entive interventions among travelers. Education and counseling are recogniz ed as key components of risk reduction. New efforts should be put forth wit h regard to identifying effective tools to promote safer sexual behaviors a nd to reduce the spread of infection by promoting condom use. Travelers at increased risk should be identified for targeted interventions; research to validate proposed markers of increased risk is prospectively needed. Hepat itis B infection is the only STD that is preventable by vaccination. The fe asibility and cost-effectiveness of STD screening in travelers after exposu re is a virtually unexplored field, though it may represent an important co mponent of STD control strategies in developed countries.