This timely book introduces social aspects of the study of sexual health and their application to public health practice. The book addresses five key themes: Conceptual and theoretical aspects of sexual health, Sexual health outcomes of Risk and Vulnerability, Improving sexual health status and Measuring and assessing sexual health status. The authors consider each of these themes within their cultural and historical context and illustrate topics with international examples and case studies. Key features of the book include: A spotlight on populations rather than individuals, and a focus on the prevention of ill health and promotion of well being. A global perspective; the book makes the distinction between developing and developed countries, but recognises that inequalities are to be found within as well as between countries. A view of sexual behaviour as socially learned rather than biologically given and so as amenable to change and intervention to improve sexual health status. An emphasis on ways in which risk and vulnerability are products, not only of individual behaviours, but of the social context in which they are practiced. Written by authors with a wide range of experience, this book will be a valuable resource for public health practitioners and those studying and working in the area of sexual health. Understanding Public Health is an innovative series published by Open University Press in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Series Editors: Ros Plowman and Nicki Thorogood Contributors: Sevgi O Aral, Chris Bonell, Helen Burchett, Joanna Busza, Martine Collumbien, Simon Forrest, Rebecca French, Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Anna Glasier, Jami Leichliter, Kirstin Mitchell, Will Nutland, Thomas Peterman, Elisabeth Pisani, Kaye Wellings, Meg Wiggins and Maria Zuurmond.

This timely book introduces social aspects of the study of sexual health and their application to public health practice. The book addresses five key themes: Conceptual and theoretical aspects of sexual health, Sexual health outcomes of risk and vulnerability, Improving sexual health status and Measuring and assessing sexual health status. The authors consider each of these themes within their cultural and historical context and illustrate topics with international examples and case studies.

"This volume presents the highlights of current global thinking about sexual and reproductive health. Major changes have taken place in the last 15 years in the way decision-makers think about the subject and the manner in which programmes deliver comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. The turning point was the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994. ICPD was a watershed for several reasons. First, more than in any of the preceding United Nations population conferences, the issue of population was clearly placed as being central to sustainable development. Second, the narrow focus on population growth ("the population bomb") which had been a neo-Malthusian concern and preoccupation ever since the Club of Rome published its 1972 report Limits to Growth, was replaced by the comprehensive concept of (sexual and) reproductive health. Third, and linked to the definition and introduction of the reproductive health concept, was the strong call for a paradigm shift away from a policy environment driven by demographic considerations (sometimes to the point of using coercion in family planning services in order to reach demographic targets) to an environment that recognized the right of individuals to make their own choices. And, last but not least, ICPD as well as the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) held the following year in Beijing, People's Republic of China, strongly emphasized that the rights of women and men to good sexual and reproductive health are firmly grounded in universal human rights"--Provided by publisher.

Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Sixth edition of the hugely successful, internationally recognised textbook on global public health and epidemiology, with 3 volumes comprehensively covering the scope, methods, and practice of the discipline

This is the first concise handbook on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) health in the past few years. It breaks the myths, breaks the silence, and breaks new ground on this subject. This resource offers a multidimensional picture of LGBT health across clinical and social disciplines to give readers a full and nuanced understanding of these diverse populations. It contains real-world matters of definition and self-definition, meticulous analyses of stressor and health outcomes, a extensive coverage of research methodology concerns, and critical insights into the sociopolitical context of LGBT individuals’ health and lives.

One in five people in the United States had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) on any given day in 2018, totaling nearly 68 million estimated infections. STIs are often asymptomatic (especially in women) and are therefore often undiagnosed and unreported. Untreated STIs can have severe health consequences, including chronic pelvic pain, infertility, miscarriage or newborn death, and increased risk of HIV infection, genital and oral cancers, neurological and rheumatological effects. In light of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the National Association of County and City Health Officials, commissioned the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a committee to examine the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections in the United States and provide recommendations for action. In 1997, the Institute of Medicine released a report, The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Although significant scientific advances have been made since that time, many of the problems and barriers described in that report persist today; STIs remain an underfunded and comparatively neglected field of public health practice and research. The committee reviewed the current state of STIs in the United States, and the resulting report, Sexually Transmitted Infections: Advancing a Sexual Health Paradigm, provides advice on future public health programs, policy, and research.