Sexually Transmitted Disease and Other Medical Illnesses and Drug Abuse

(4 Credit Hours – Cost: $1,800)

 

Prerequisites: Minimum 12 credit hours of graduate level courses in addictions studies or psychology.

Course Description: This graduate-level course examines the different sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomonas (the four most common) along with genital herpes, genital warts, hepatitis A, B, C and D, and HIV/AIDS. About 85% of all STDs occur in people between the ages of 15 and 30. Almost half of all teenagers who are very sexually active have had chlamydia; the fastest-spreading STD. The increased risk of STDs, including HIV disease, due to lowered inhibitions or trading sex for drugs is all too common among the drug-abusing population. One thing to remember about STDs is the delayed incubation period before symptoms appear. This allows the disease to be unknowingly transmitted to others. This course looks critically at how individuals of different races, ages and gender and sexual orientation who are substance abusers can prevent as well how they acquire, spread and cope with triple combined diseases-STD, mental illnesses as well as substance abuse. Emphasis on the different research in this field of study, with available categories of interventions for those individuals with these conditions.

Course Outcome: The candidate will be able to:

  1. Understand different types of sexually transmitted diseases their mode of acquisition especially in substance abusers;
  2. Understand the different resources available to the substance abusers to help these individuals.
  3. Understand the different levels of intervention and preventions available to these individuals.
  4. Understand the epidemiological research and use by private and governmental agencies for the purpose of helping the community ravaged by HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis C and drug abuser.

Required Text*:

AIDS, Health, and Mental Health: A Primary Sourcebook [Hardcover]
Judith Landau-Stanton (Author), Colleen D. Clements (Author) Brunner/Mazel Publishers.
ISBN-10: 0876306881
ISBN-13: 978-0876306888

*Candidates are responsible to buy the required textbook for this course. You can find this book in major online bookstores such as amazon.com, abebooks.com etc.

Supplementary Resources**:

  • Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse [Paperback]
  • John Brick (Author, Editor). Routledge.
  • Responding To Physical and Sexual Abuse in Women with Alcohol and Other Drug and Mental Disorders: Program Building [Hardcover], Bonita Veysey , Colleen Clark. The Haworth Press Inc. .
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Sexually Transmitted Diseases ( Holmes)) (Hardcover) ; King Holmes , P. Sparling, Walter Stamm , Peter Picot, Judith Wasserheit, Lawrence Corey, Myron Cohen. Mc Graw Hill.
  • Women Drug use, and HIV infection by Sally J. Stevens, PhD, Stephanie Tortu, PhD, Susan Coyle, PhD . Haworth Medical Press.
  • AIDS Health and Mental Health (A primary source book) by Judith Landau-Stanton, Colleen D. Clements and Associates. Brunner/Mazel

**These resources are not required, but may provide assistance in completing your assignments for this course.