Womens Health Issues - Essay Example

In the study undertaken by Moss et al., the main focus is one of the types of STD which is herpes simplex. The empirical data had been gathered to determine the possible predictors of the herpes simplex virus type 2. The population in focus is composed of young women that are at risk of being pregnant. The said risk can be considered the main reason for the gender differences based on the fact that the said disease has a possibility of being transferred to the baby (Moss et al, 113).

The data had been gathered through secondary reproductive health records of women included in age 15 to 24 years from 2 selected clinics in San Francisco. The baseline information is primarily gathered along with the sexual history through an interview. The preliminary HSV-2 testing then follows which is undertaken through a fingerstick blood test. Both the pregnant women and the women that are at risk of pregnancy are included and monitored. In cases of pregnancy, the development of HSV-2 had been observed while the women that are at risk of pregnancy are divided at the end by those who became pregnant and those who had been able to be protected by contraception such as condoms (Moss et al, 113).

The results showed that the HSV-2 coincidence and the unintended pregnancy are of relatively high risk. For that matter, the said study had been considered as one of the important evidence of the need for contraception and STD prevention (Moss et al, 113).

Herpes simplex is one of the types of STDs that is commonly occurring but can be ignored by the public because HIV/AIDS is considered more dangerous.  It is important to note that the fact that it can risk both the mother and the baby during pregnancy can be considered an important reason to give enough attention to the prevention and elimination of such cases. The fact that it is less serious than HIV/AIDS can be viewed as a motivation for it to be eliminated with relatively less hindrance than HIV/AIDS. This should not be viewed as a reason to ignore such cases.

It is important to consider that the different types of STDs are ranked second in the diseases affecting women with the youth comprising half of the newly acquired cases due to the lack of knowledge regarding the risks of the diseases (Da Ros and Schmitt, 110).