The Ethics of Public Health Practice for the Prevention and Control of STDs.

The goal of public health is to promote the health of all persons for the good of the entire population. While this is a straightforward intention, in practice, public health regularly raises ethical dilemmas that result primarily from conflicts between individual interests and community interests. With respect to sexual health, ethical public health practice is made all the more challenging by the private nature of sexual behavior, and by the social stigma associated with many sexual practices and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]