Breaking the chain of transmission: Nurses' role in preventing STI's

Sexually transmitted infections (STI's) affect people of all ages, socioeconomic levels and cultures and are now a serious public health issue and have reached epidemic proportions in many nations. More than 30 different bacteria, viruses and parasites are known to be transmitted through sexual contact with 8 pathogens being linked to the greatest incidence of disease. Although often preventable, STIs are on the increase worldwide with the World Health Organization (WHO 2016) estimating that more than 500 million new infections of curable STI's like gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, syphilis and chlamydia occur globally each year.