Sexually Transmitted Disease: An Encyclopedia of Diseases, Prevention, Treatment, and Issues [2 volumes] - Hardcover

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect people from all walks of life, are linked to some cancers, and are preventable. Many reference works have been published on this subject, but they tend to deal with a single aspect of the problem. This new encyclopedia from Greenwood takes a multidisciplinary approach, examining the clinical, social, political, financial, and emotional implications of STDs. The editors and the 85 contributors, all health-care professionals, have written 240 alphabetical entries that examine a wide range of topics, including anatomy, contraception, diagnostic and surgical interventions, specific diseases, treatments, and vaccines and prevention. Aside from science and medicine, there is also information on history and biography (e.g., the Tuskegee syphilis study, biologist Elie Metchnikoff); legal issues (e.g., date rape, mandatory reporting); and social issues (e.g., the impact of STDs on minorities, the economic burden of STDs). Entries are three to five pages long, with resource lists for further reading. Many entries include boxed case studies, black-and-white photographs, or diagrams to supplement the text. Volume 1 features a time line, from 400 BCE to 2012, offering historical context. Volume 2 contains a bibliography and a detailed index. This encyclopedia is up-to-date, accessible to lay readers, and full of practical information as well as historical and scientific background. It is an excellent choice for school, public, and consumer-health libraries. --Barbara Bibel