Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Edited by Laura Egendorf. Detroit, Mich.: Greenhaven Press Thomson Gale, 2007. 104 p. $28.70. ISBN 10: 0-7377-1975-3; 978-0-7377-1975-8.

Just finding the title might lead a student to believe this is a medical book on the topic. Rather this collection of published articles begins with "Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States: An Overview." Facts are provided with numbers of STIs, its prevalence, gender and racial differences among others. Other articles offer two sides of the following topics: "Condoms Prevent the Spread of AIDS" and "Condoms Do Not Prevent the Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases," "Abstinence-Only Education Is Effective" and "Abstinence-Only Education Is a Failure." The more recent controversy is "The HPV Vaccine Is Safe and Effective" and "The HPV Vaccine Should Not Be Made Mandatory." Each article begins with an introduction to the author or agency publishing the report and a paragraph synopsis of the article. Appendixes include a 5-page list of agencies and a 5-page bibliography of books, periodical articles and one Web site. Students writing on this topic will find this good starting place for their research, and because it covers both sides of issues, it provides an unbiased discussion.