TY - JOUR T1 - Sexually Transmitted Bacterial and Protozoal Infections JF - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science JO - Clin Lab Sci SP - 114 LP - 119 DO - 10.29074/ascls.30.2.114 VL - 30 IS - 2 AU - Bethany N. Kent Y1 - 2017/04/01 UR - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/30/2/114.abstract N2 - Compare the symptoms of bacterial and protozoal sexually transmitted diseases.Describe the threat of emerging antibiotic resistance for bacterial sexually transmitted diseases.Compare the benefits of molecular diagnostic testing to traditional culture methods of identification.Bacterial and protozoal sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis) are curable, even though they remain as some of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) worldwide. After a period of decreased infection rates, the reported instances of infection of this group of STDs is on the rise. Although widely accepted treatment is available for each of these diseases, gonorrhea in particular is beginning to demonstrate a pattern of antibiotic resistance that is predicted to lead to future treatment difficulties. Diagnostic capabilities have greatly increased the rapidness of treatment as recent technological advances in molecular methods has significantly impacted the speed and accuracy of STD diagnosis.ABBREVIATIONS: CDC - Centers for Disease Control, STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease, STIs - Sexually Transmitted Infections, PID - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HSV - Herpes Simplex Virus, GISP - Gonoccocal Isolate Surveillance Project ER -