Monday, September 6, 2010

Introduction

Welcome to the STD Prevention Globally blog! This is the first post of what I hope to be many. The author of this blog is me, Grace Holderbaum. I am currently a senior at the University of Maryland majoring in Family Science.  I am using this blog to explore how technology has and does affect STD prevention. I chose this topic because I am interested in public health, specifically sexual health. I feel that this is one of the most important social issues facing the world today. If sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented, there is no reason why a disease as devastating as HIV/AIDS should be so rampant. I believe new technology in communication is helping in this cause. 


New technology is helping making our world a lot smaller which in turn makes it easier to spread new information about preventing disease to other countries. While HIV/AIDS is a disease that is more prevalent in developing countries in Africa than the United States, the effects of this disease are still felt by all because of the obligation to humanity that we all have. Even a technology as common to us as the internet has been a great asset in STD prevention. Non-profit organizations are able to reach out with their websites to other non-profits and to the people they are helping. In the United States, there are a number of websites developed to meet the needs of specific demographics and audiences. Instead of just having one type of brochure in a doctors office, people can now access a stunning amount of information on the internet catered to their needs. 


In this blog I also hope to cover how technology can also have a negative impact on STD prevention. As I mentioned earlier, people have all of the internet at their fingertips which is great except that some of the information on the internet is not accurate. It is now up to the information seeker to filter through countless websites to find reputable ones that are not promoting misleading of false information. I think we will see throughout this blog how leaders in the fight against STD transmission are combatting this issue of finding accurate information. 


Check back soon for a new post and thanks for reading!


Grace

1 comment:

  1. I think that you cover a lot of good points, especially in what you plan on researching in the future. I think it would also be interesting to know current statistics of how many people have access to the Internet in places that have high rates of STD's, just to see how many people exactly are getting the information they need. Also, you could cover how STD prevention is being taught in schools across the world. While STD prevention is very important, obviously, people with STD's need to have quick access to treatment. It seems like this is a huge issue everywhere-- that people cannot get the medication they need. How much does this medication cost, and how can technology make it more accessible to those who need it in life-threatening situations? I look forward to reading your blog and staying updated on progress.

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