Running Head: HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 IMPACT PAPER 1
Healthy People 2020 Impact Paper
Nicole Hendrickson
Chamberlain University
NR503-12390
January 2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000831988016 from CourseHe
...
Running Head: HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 IMPACT PAPER 1
Healthy People 2020 Impact Paper
Nicole Hendrickson
Chamberlain University
NR503-12390
January 2018
This study source was downloaded by 100000831988016 from CourseHero.com on 04-30-2022 03:10:53 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/28311499/Healthy-People-2020-Impact-Paperdocx/
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 IMPACT PAPER 2
Healthy People 2020 Impact Paper
Improving the health of all Americans is the science-based objective of Healthy
People.Gov (Healthy People 2020, 2018). The Healthy People 2020 initiative covers 42
different topics and objectives; this paper is going to focus on just one, sexually transmitted
diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases are often referred to as STDs and STIs for sexually
transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted diseases or infections are also known as venereal
diseases; these are bacterial, viral, or parasitic diseases or infections transmitted primarily
through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person (Taylor, Middlebrooks, & Marco,
2017).
Healthy People 2020 identifies STDs as a significant public health problem in the United
States (Healthy People 2020, 2018). This health problem is so important to recognize because
sexually transmitted diseases are very preventable, and this area of health concern receives little
recognition. The costs absorbed by the United States healthcare system are estimated at as much
as $16 billion per year (Healthy People 2020, 2018).
Overview of Problem
According to Tanksley and Cifu (2016), the incidence of sexually transmitted infections
is increasing, with 1.4 million new cases of chlamydia and 350,000 cases of gonorrhea in 2014.
This causes not only unnecessary economic hardship, but also despair, permanent damage, and
even death when left undiagnosed and untreated. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
reported that there are an estimated 20 million new cases of STDs diagnosed each year with most
cases ranging in people ages 15 to 24 (Taylor, Middlebrooks, & Marco, 2017).
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HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 IMPACT PAPER 3
Epidemiological Analysis
The reported average age for initial vaginal sex is 14.4 years old; however, the average
age to experience a sexual encounter is before 13 years of age; making the prevalence of STDs
among sexually active females 14 to 19 years of age 25% or 1 in 4 (Taylor, Middlebrooks, &
Marco, 2017). Healthy People 2020 (2018) adds that ethnic disparities, poverty, substance abuse,
and access to healthcare devastatingly increased these statistics. At these ages, a child has barely
entered puberty before becoming sexually active.
Healthy People 2020 Goals
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