Susan Wysocki, WHNP, FAANP You may not know that columns for journals are submitted well in advance of publication. So, the headlines of today may not be the “topic du jour” when a journal hits the shelves. As I write, Ebola has taken over the popular press in the United States as a great health concern. Don’t get me wrong, the impact of Ebola in West Africa is significant. Absolutely, hospitals in the US should be equipped to handle contagious diseases. So far, there have been only 4 cases of Ebola in the US, yet reporting suggests that we are all at risk for contracting this disease. Compare 4 cases of Ebola in the US with the fact that half of all people in the US will have a sexually transmitted disease (STD) at some point in their lifetime. Women are particularly vulnerable to these infections. By age 50, it is estimated that 80% of women will have acquired the human papilloma virus (HPV). Twenty-one million women aged 15-25 have been estimated to have an STD, yet many young women have not been screened. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that only 30% of young women in commercial health plans have been adequately screened. Medicaid programs are higher at 45% for this age group, but this is still inadequate. Screening is critical. Many of these sexually transmitted infections can be asymptomatic. STDs in women can lead to infertility and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia, often a silent infection, can cause tubal damage from pelvic inflammatory disease. Gonorrhea is also a culprit in causing pelvic inflammatory disease. Procedures to treat precancerous lesions caused by HPV can impact the ability of a woman to become pregnant or compromise the integrity of the cervix to continue a pregnancy. One may add herpes and HIV to the mix of risks to women, but by all accounts women are more vulnerable to these STDs. It’s simple anatomy. During heterosexual vaginal sex, a woman retains potentially dangerous organisms carried in semen near highly vulnerable