Venereology is the science that studies and treats sexually transmitted infections. The name of this sub-specialty comes from the name of the Roman goddess Venus and is associated with love, beauty and human reproduction.
The names "Sexually transmitted diseases" or "sexually transmitted infections" are used as synonymous and equal to the name "venereal diseases", which is currently being considered outdated.
Venereal diseases include bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. Some of the most important sexually transmitted infections present nowadays are HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, candida, herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, trichomoniasis, and scabies.
Significant complications of sexually transmitted infection make them one of the socially significant diseases in human pathology. Long-term consequences of these illnesses are chronic infections and sexual dysfunction along with conceiving problems.
Solving problems related to sexual activity of a person are associated with health and social factors and moral standards. Not only the mechanisms of spread of the disease must be taken into account, but also the cultural and social norms in the community and how they could affect the transmission of diseases.
Preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections is related to development of health education programs – the key point is to raise the awareness about nature of sexually transmitted infections and their prevention among various social groups.