html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
xml:lang="en"
>
<head>
<title>
Johns Hopkins Public Health Magazine | Risk
</title>
<meta name="keywords"
content="Africa, Public Health Magazine, global health, infectious disease, health, Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, \ J. Klag, education, magazine, news, spring, 2008, public health"
>
<meta name="description"
content="Johns Hopkins Public Health Magazine, Spring 2008 Online Edition"
>
<meta name="date"
content="Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:42:05 GMT"
>
<meta name="generator"
content="Office of Communications"
>
<link rel="shortcut icon"
href="http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/v/z/jhsph.ico"
>
<link rel="alternate"
type="application/rss+xml"
title="RSS"
href="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/pr/newsRSS.xml"
>
type="application/rss+xml"
title="RSS"
href="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/pr/newsRSS.xml"
>
<link href="/2008/Spring/_includes/features.css"
type="text/css"
media="screen"
rel="stylesheet"
>
<link href="/2008/Spring/_includes/print.css"
type="text/css"
media="print"
rel="stylesheet"
>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/js/external.js"
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/js/flashobject.js"
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/js/common_functions.js"
>
</script>
<script src="http://www.google.com/jsapi?key=ABQIAAAA9pRfVUV3SECiK5IIiqjN8RTbehYWbOWmYUyFvXErUnaX_g3iuRSOYnv7GNM_1rBcCfUqHm1EQHpTMA"
type="text/javascript"
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
google.load("prototype", "1.6.0.3");
google.load("scriptaculous", "1.8.2");
</script>
<script src="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/js/overlay.js"
type="text/javascript"
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
// function unsetOverlay() {
// if(overlay) {
// overlay.hide();
// }
// }
function checkRadio(inp) {
if(inp == 'yes') {
document.getElementById("cse-search-box").as_q.value='inurl:http://magazine.jhsph.edu/ OR inurl:http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/magazine/';
} else {
document.getElementById("cse-search-box").as_q.value='';
}
}
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet"
href="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/css/overlay.css"
type="text/css"
>
<style type="text/css"
>
style type="text/css"
>
input.textFieldInput {
width:60%;
float:left;
}
div.hiddenDiv {
display:none;
}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
</head>
function OnLoad(f_q,f_cx,f_ie,f_epq) {
// Create a search control
var searchControl = new google.search.SearchControl();
searchControl.setResultSetSize(google.search.Search.LARGE_RESULTSET);
//Type of search format
options = new google.search.SearcherOptions();
options.setExpandMode(google.search.SearchControl.EXPAND_MODE_OPEN);
// create websearch
var wse = new google.search.WebSearch();
wse.setSiteRestriction(f_cx);
//var ise = new google.search.ImageSearch();
//ise.setSiteRestriction(f_cx);
//var drawOptions = new google.search.DrawOptions();
//drawOptions.setDrawMode(google.search.SearchControl.DRAW_MODE_TABBED);
// if there's a subsection to add to the search
if(f_epq != '') {
wse.setQueryAddition(f_epq);
}
// create searchers
searchControl.addSearcher(wse,options);
//searchControl.addSearcher(ise);
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.VideoSearch());
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.
BlogSearch());
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.NewsSearch());
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.ImageSearch());
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.BookSearch());
// searchControl.addSearcher(new google.search.PatentSearch());
// create our searchers' target.
var dlgBx = document.getElementById('cse-search-results');
dlgBx.innerHTML = '';
Element.insert(dlgBx,new Element("div", {id:'cdDiv',className:"closeDialog"}));
Element.insert(document.getElementById('cdDiv'),new Element("span", {id:"cDia",className:"closeDialog"}));
document.getElementById('cDia').innerHTML="close";
Element.insert(dlgBx,new Element("div", {id:"srCnt",className:"srContainer"}));
searchControl.draw(document.getElementById('srCnt'));
searchControl.setLinkTarget(google.search.Search.LINK_TARGET_SELF);
searchControl.execute(f_q);
var ovrly = new DialogOverlay(dlgBx);
ovrly.show();
// Search!
}
function loadSearch(f_q,f_cx,f_ie,f
_epq) {
google.load("search", "1", {
"callback" : function() {
OnLoad(f_q,f_cx,f_ie,f_epq);
}
});
}
</script>
<body>
</html>
<div id="aligner"
>
<table id="mainContainer"
cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0"
>
</div>
table id="mainContainer"
cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0"
>
<tr>
<td class="banner"
>
<img src="/2008/Spring/_images/header_small.gif"
width="700"
height="104"
alt="Public Health Magazine"
>
</td>
img src="/2008/Spring/_images/header_small.gif"
width="700"
height="104"
alt="Public Health Magazine"
>
<td class="banner2"
rowspan="2"
>
</tr>
<img src="/2008/Spring/_images/issue.gif"
width="150"
height="128"
alt="Issue"
>
</td>
img src="/2008/Spring/_images/issue.gif"
width="150"
height="128"
alt="Issue"
>
<tr>
<td id="topMainnav"
>
</tr>
<a href="#mainFeature"
title="skip main navigation"
>
</a>
<ul class="topNav"
>
</td>
<li class="homeLink"
>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/"
title="Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"
>
www.jhsph.edu
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/default.cfm"
title="Home"
>
Home
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/contents/"
title="Contents"
>
Contents
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/departments/letters/"
title="Introduction"
>
Introduction
</a>
</li>
<li class="selected"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/biology/conceptual_problems/"
title="Sections"
>
Sections
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/online_extras/"
title="Online Extras"
>
Online Extras
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/departments/open_mike/"
title="Departments"
>
Departments
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/archive.cfm"
title="Archives"
>
Archives
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
</ul>
<a href="/2008/Spring/sex_quiz/"
title="Quiz"
>
Quiz
</a>
</li>
<tr>
<td id="subnav"
>
<a href="#mainFeature"
title="skip sub-navigation"
>
</a>
<div id="topSubnav"
>
</td>
<ul class="topSubNav"
>
</div>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/biology/conceptual_problems/"
title="Biology"
>
Biology
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/age/generation_sex/"
title="Age"
>
Age
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/culture/living/"
title="Culture"
>
Culture
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
</ul>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/sexual/"
title="Risk"
>
Risk
</a>
</li>
<td id="thisIssue"
>
</tr>
<a href="/2008/Spring/web_forms/subscribe.cfm"
title="Subscribe"
class="issueLink"
>
Subscribe
</a>
</td>
<tr>
<td>
<table id="mainContent"
cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0"
>
</td>
table id="mainContent"
cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0"
>
<tr>
</table>
<td id="leftNavigation"
valign="top"
>
<!-- request subsection id = 130 -->
<h2>
Risk
</h2>
<div id="leftTitleBorder"
>
</div>
<a href="#mainFeature"
title="skip feature navigation"
>
</a>
<div id="leftItems"
>
</td>
<ul>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/healthy_sexual_beings/?subsection_id=130"
title="Healthy, Sexual Beings (essay)"
>
Healthy, Sexual Beings (essay)
</a>
</li>
<li class="selected"
>
Sexual Healing
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/std_king/?subsection_id=130"
title="STD King"
>
STD King
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/world_of_risk/?subsection_id=130"
title="A World of Risk"
>
A World of Risk
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/depression_hivs_ally/?subsection_id=130"
title="Depression: HIV's Ally"
>
Depression: HIV's Ally
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/gauging_sexual_risk/?subsection_id=130"
title="Gauging Sexual Risk"
>
Gauging Sexual Risk
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/sexual_abuse_hiv/?subsection_id=130"
title="Sexual Abuse's Link to HIV"
>
Sexual Abuse's Link to HIV
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/family_planning/?subsection_id=130"
title="Why Has Family Planning Become Almost Invisible as a Public Health Issue?"
>
Why Has Family Planning Become Almost Invisible as a Public Health Issue?
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/sex_workers/?subsection_id=130"
title="Sex Workers"
>
Sex Workers
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/two_perspectives_hiv/?subsection_id=130"
title="2 Perspectives on HIV Testing"
>
2 Perspectives on HIV Testing
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/abortion_first_understand/?subsection_id=130"
title="Abortion: First, Understand"
>
Abortion: First, Understand
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/abortions_stigma/?subsection_id=130"
title="Abortion's Stigma"
>
Abortion's Stigma
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/abortion_debate/?subsection_id=130"
title="What's Been Overlooked in America's Decades-Long Abortion Debate?"
>
What's Been Overlooked in America's Decades-Long Abortion Debate?
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/surprise_pakistan/?subsection_id=130"
title="A Surprise in Pakistan"
>
A Surprise in Pakistan
</a>
</li>
<li class="navigation"
>
</ul>
<a href="/2008/Spring/risk/nafis_sadik/?subsection_id=130"
title="8 Questions for Nafis Sadik"
>
8 Questions for Nafis Sadik
</a>
</li>
<li>
</div>
<a href="mailto:editor@jhsph.edu"
title="Email the Editor"
>
Email the Editor
</a>
</li>
<td valign="top"
id="mainFeature"
>
</tr>
<div id="storyImage"
>
<img src="/2008/Spring/risk/_images/sexual1.jpg"
width="551"
height="367"
alt="Risk"
>
</div>
img src="/2008/Spring/risk/_images/sexual1.jpg"
width="551"
height="367"
alt="Risk"
>
<div id="storyImageCaption"
>
<ul>
</div>
<li class="links"
>
</ul>
<a href="#"
onclick="window.print()"
title="Print"
>
Print
</a>
|
<a href="/2008/Spring/web_forms/SendPageLink.cfm?pageTitle=Sexual Healing"
title="Email"
>
Email
</a>
</li>
<div id="storyTitle"
>
<h1>
Sexual Healing
</h1>
<h2>
For decades, Baltimore has struggled to contain swift-moving outbreaks of sexually transmitted infections, and scored some successes. Will creativity and new strategies be enough for the future?
</h2>
<p>
By Jim Duffy
</p>
</div>
<div id="storyText"
>
<p>
A decade ago, Baltimore endured a syphilis epidemic of astonishing proportions. The city's infection rate peaked at slightly more than 100 cases per 100,000 population, soaring to 18 times the national average and reaching a level usually found only in developing countries.
</p>
<p>
When those numbers landed on the front page of
<em>
The New York Times
</em>
, Baltimore became the punch line in a long string of bad jokes by TV talk show hosts. But more than civic pride was at stake: Over a two-year stretch, 115 babies in Baltimore were delivered with congenital syphilis contracted from infected mothers. Some of those infants emerged stillborn. Others began life facing serious health complications and cognitive impairments.
</p>
<p>
"To me, that's one of the worst public health statistics you can have, and Baltimore had it—real cases of dead babies because someone never got a shot of penicillin," says Emily Erbelding, MD, MPH '95, associate professor in the School of Medicine's Division of Infectious Diseases, with joint appointments in
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/dept/epi"
title="Epidemiology"
>
Epidemiology
</a>
and
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/dept/pfrh"
title="Population, Family and Reproductive Health (PFRH)"
>
Population, Family and Reproductive Health (PFRH)
</a>
.
</p>
<p>
The city quickly launched a major public health offensive against an infection that, if untreated, can cause an array of serious and sometimes fatal health complications. Armed with an infusion of resources from federal and state sources, the city Health Department added clinical staff, bolstered surveillance efforts and launched new outreach programs.
</p>
<p>
Along the way, the department expanded its longstanding partnership with the Bloomberg School. The city and the School now share several employees—including Erbelding, who is the department's chief of clinical services for sexually transmitted infections—in joint-appointment arrangements. Other faculty work closely with the Health Department to find grants and launch test initiatives that are evaluated rigorously.
</p>
<p>
The work is paying dividends: Today, Baltimore's syphilis rate is a quarter of what it was a decade ago, and gonorrhea rates are down 45 percent, from 1,000 cases per 100,000 population in 1995 to 550 in 2005.
</p>
<p>
But progress is one thing, success another. Compared with other cities, Baltimore still has disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
</p>
<p>
"The numbers have improved since the late 1990s, but it's not like we're in a position to declare victory," says Erbelding. "You always have the feeling in this field that when you let your guard down, there's a chance infections are going to explode again."
</p>
<p>
Most STIs thrive on the edges of society. The behavioral patterns that fuel infection rates, such as prostitution and drug abuse, are inextricably linked with social issues, such as poverty, homelessness and incarceration.
</p>
<div class="pagination"
>
« Previous Page
1 |
</div>
<a href="?page=2"
title="page #2"
>
2
</a>
|
<a href="?page=3"
title="page #3"
>
3
</a>
|
<a href="?page=4"
title="page #4"
>
4
</a>
<a href="?page=2"
title="next page"
>
Next Page »
</a>
</div>
<div id="activeLinks"
>
</td>
<div id="bookMarks"
>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
</div>
buildBookmarks();</script>
<ul>
</div>
<li>
</ul>
<a href="/2008/Spring/web_forms/priority_forum.cfm"
title="Online Forum: Sex, Health & the President"
>
Online Forum: Sex, Health the President
</a>
</li>
<td valign="top"
id="rightBar"
>
</tr>
<div id="Giving"
>
<h2>
Support JHSPH
</h2>
<p>
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health strives every day to keep millions of people around the world safe from injury or illness.
</div>
<br>
<br>
<a rel="external"
title="Make a Gift"
href="http://www.jhsph.edu/giving/"
>
</p>
<img src="http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/a/p/make_a_gift.gif"
alt="Make a Gift"
>
</a>
img src="http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/a/p/make_a_gift.gif"
alt="Make a Gift"
>
<div id="news"
>
<h2>
Public Health News
</h2>
<p>
<a href=""
title="Rotavirus VaccineâA Powerful Tool to Combat Deaths from Diarrhea"
>
Rotavirus VaccineâA Powerful Tool to Combat Deaths from Diarrhea
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2010/baker_china_disparity.html"
title="Significant Urban-Rural Disparities in Injury Mortality Seen in China"
>
Significant Urban-Rural Disparities in Injury Mortality Seen in China
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2010/nachega_health_costs.html"
title="High Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Associated with Lower Health Care Costs"
>
High Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Associated with Lower Health Care Costs
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href=""
title="Transmission Dynamics of H1N1 Similar to Previous Influenza Strains"
>
Transmission Dynamics of H1N1 Similar to Previous Influenza Strains
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2009/zhang_antibiotic_tb.html"
title="Researchers Identify Tuberculosis Strain That Thrives on Antibiotic"
>
Researchers Identify Tuberculosis Strain That Thrives on Antibiotic
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2009/carlson_brain_scan.html"
title="For Older Adults, Participating in Social Service Activities Can Improve Brain Functions"
>
For Older Adults, Participating in Social Service Activities Can Improve Brain Functions
</a>
</p>
<p>
</div>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2009/who_tobacco.html"
title="WHO Report Shows 95 Percent of Worldâs Population Not Protected from Secondhand Tobacco Smoke"
>
WHO Report Shows 95 Percent of Worldâs Population Not Protected from Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
</a>
</p>
<div id="searchTitle"
>
<h2>
Search
</h2>
</div>
<div id="Search"
>
<div id="searchWindow"
title="Search Window"
>
</div>
<div class="searchformDiv"
>
<form action="http://www.google.com/cse"
id="cse-search-box"
method="get"
onsubmit="loadSearch(this.q.value,this.cx.value,this.ie.value,this.as_q.value); return false;"
>
</div>
<div class="searchformContent"
>
<div class="hiddenItems"
>
<input type="hidden"
name="cx"
value="017423984450203939999:ifdaoajlq-m"
>
input type="hidden"
name="cx"
value="017423984450203939999:ifdaoajlq-m"
>
<input type="hidden"
name="ie"
value="UTF-8"
>
input type="hidden"
name="ie"
value="UTF-8"
>
<input type="hidden"
name="as_q"
value="inurl:http://magazine.jhsph.edu/ OR inurl:http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/magazine/"
>
</div>
input type="hidden"
name="as_q"
value="inurl:http://magazine.jhsph.edu/ OR inurl:http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/magazine/"
>
<input type="text"
id="q"
name="q"
class="textFieldInput"
value="Search"
onfocus="this.value='';"
>
onfocus="this.value='';"
>
<span class="buttonInput"
>
</div>
<input style="float:left;margin-left:4px;"
type="submit"
name="sa"
value="go"
>
</span>
input style="float:left;margin-left:4px;"
type="submit"
name="sa"
value="go"
>
<div class="searchOptions"
>
</form>
<div class="searchOption"
>
</div>
<input type="radio"
name="sOptions"
value="yes"
onclick="checkRadio(this.value);"
checked="checked"
>
input type="radio"
name="sOptions"
value="yes"
onclick="checkRadio(this.value);"
checked="checked"
>
<span class="Search_Text"
>
This section only
</span>
<br>
<input type="radio"
name="sOptions"
value="no"
onclick="checkRadio(this.value);"
>
input type="radio"
name="sOptions"
value="no"
onclick="checkRadio(this.value);"
>
<span class="Search_Text"
>
Entire site
</span>
</div>
<div class="hiddenDiv"
>
</div>
<div id="cse-search-results"
>
</div>
</div>
<div id="university"
title="Johns Hopkins University"
>
</div>
</td>
<tr>
<td id="bottomNav"
colspan="2"
>
</tr>
<div id="schoolLinks"
>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews"
title="Public Health News Center"
>
Public Health News Center
</a>
|
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/"
title="Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"
>
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
</a>
|
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/giving/"
rel="external"
title="Support JHSPH"
>
Support JHSPH
</a>
|
<a href="http://ocw.jhsph.edu/"
title="JHSPH OpenCourseWare"
rel="external"
>
JHSPH OpenCourseWare
</a>
</div>
<div id="compliantLinks"
>
</td>
<a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2008/Spring/risk/sexual/default.cfm?"
title="XHTML"
rel="external"
>
XHTML
</a>
|
<a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2008/Spring/risk/sexual/default.cfm?&usermedium=all"
title="CSS"
rel="external"
>
CSS
</a>
|
<a href="http://valet.webthing.com/access/htnorm?url=http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2008/Spring/risk/sexual/default.cfm?&suite=SECTION508&xslt=compact"
title="508"
rel="external"
>
508
</a>
</div>
<tr>
</table>
<td id="footer"
colspan="2"
>
</tr>
<div id="footerText"
>
© 2010, Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.
<br>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/resources/web_policies"
title="Web policies"
>
Web policies
</a>
, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-955-6878
</div>
<div id="footerLogo"
>
</td>
<a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/"
title="Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"
>
</div>
<img src="/2008/Spring/_images/logo.gif"
width="208"
height="64"
alt="Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"
>
</a>
img src="/2008/Spring/_images/logo.gif"
width="208"
height="64"
alt="Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"
>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
//<![CDATA[
var gConvert=true;
var gFpc="WT_FPC";
var gDomain="esgwtdc.nts.jhu.edu";
var gDoms = "jhsphmag.nts.jhu.edu";
var gDcsId="dcsg0oz2v10000w4tmzc10kjv_9m8x";
if ((typeof(gConvert)!="undefined")&&gConvert&&(document.cookie.indexOf(gFpc+"=")==-1)&&(document.cookie.indexOf("WTLOPTOUT=")==-1)){
document.write("<SCR"+"IPT TYPE='text/javascript' SRC='"+"http"+(window.location.protocol.indexOf('https:')==0?'s':'')+"://"+gDomain+"/"+gDcsId+"/wtid.js"+"'><\/SCR"+"IPT>");
}
//]]>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/_includes/js/dcs_tag2.js"
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
>
</body>
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-2576482-2");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
pageTracker._setDomainName(".jhsph.edu");
</script>