性传播疾病的预防：行为的改变
STD Prevention: Behavior Change

节欲-道德价值与社会责任

从宗教的观点看，性传播疾病由罪恶行为传播，但是，象所有其他罪过一样，罪恶行为最终也可以被饶恕。可是，从公共健康的角度看，无论人们如何看待它，这些行为会导致疾病流行的事实，必须尽快地做出处理。保护公共健康因而是一个完全不同于拯救灵魂的任务。一旦卫生官员被召唤起来去阻止性传播疾病的流行，采取实际工作和迅速做出反应则是他们的责任。他们实际上必须要面对事实和不可能去审判所涉及的性的事件。如果他们想要获得成功，他们需要所有高危行为者的合作，而且必须按照合作者根据自我的主张来展开，无论对宗教信徒还是对非宗教信徒，无论对“贞洁者”还是对“不贞洁者”，卫生官员都需要按照他们的实际情况做出选择。所以，不管个人的疑问如何，除了节欲以外，公共健康的维护者们必须推动其他可能奏效的所有预防措施。

公共卫生政策
左：普通外科协会印章。右（上）：位于佐治亚州亚特兰大的美国疾病预防与控制中心出版的主要的流行病学杂志；右（下）：也是由佐治亚州创办的流行病学互连网站。（点击图标）

Public Health Policy
Left: Seal of the U.S. Surgeon General. Right (top): The leading epidemiological journal published by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Right (bottom): An epidemiological internet resource, also originating in the state of Georgia, USA. (Click on logos.)

Abstinence - Moral Values and Public Duties

From a religious point of view, STDs are spread by sinful behavior, but, like all other sins, it can eventually be forgiven. However, from the standpoint of public health, the behavior, whatever one thinks of it, creates epidemiological facts that have to be dealt with as soon as possible. Protecting public health is therefore a task quite different from that of saving souls. Once health officials are called upon to stop an STD epidemic, it is their duty to be practical and to act quickly. They must face the realities as they are and cannot afford to be judgemental in sexual matters. If they want to succeed, they need the cooperation of all those at risk, and these must be met on their own terms - believers and non-believers, the “chaste” and the “unchaste”. Therefore, in addition to abstinence, the protectors of public health must promote all other prevention methods that might work, in spite of possible personal reservations.