Sexually transmitted diseases, commonly referred to as STDs,

are a widespread social issue. In total, there are more than fifty STDs,
however, the most prevalent are gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes,
HIV, and AIDS. Gonorrhea and Syphilis are among the oldest diseases
to afflict humans. In 2010, the official record shows 243,500 cases of
gonorrhea and 13,000 cases of syphilis (Macionis 195). Doctors are
able to treat these diseases effectively with antibiotics; however, this is
not the case for some more severe STDs. Genital herpes infects 25
million people in the United States between the ages of fourteen and
forty-nine, and for this, there is no cure (Macionis 195). AIDS or
acquired immune deficiency syndrome is the most serious of all STDs
and the official count of those infected is 1,108,611. Of these, 594,496
have died (Macionis 196). As you can see, sexually transmitted
diseases are a persistent problem both in the United States and across
the globe.
Social movements progress through four distinct stages in an
effort to define an issue as a social problem. The first stage is
emergence. This occurs when people come together to share a concern
about an aspect of the status quo and begin to claim the need for
change. The second stage is the coalescence of a movement. This
occurs when a new organization begins to engage in political lobbying
and makes its beliefs public. The third stage is formalization. The
movement becomes formalized as it establishes itself among the
political scene. This stage usually involves trained and salaried staff
working for the movement, opposed to its initial volunteers. This stage
also develops the presence of the movement in the realm of social
media. Finally, the fourth stage is the decline. This is the stage that
social movements often run out of funds, or are simply crushed by
opposing organizations.
The sexually transmitted disease center or STDC is a social
movement that aims to educate people about STDs, provide free
access to STD testing, counsel those with existing STDs, and distribute
preventative measures such as condoms and literature on abstinence.
The emergence of the STDC movement occurs as a number of people
come together with the common concern of the spread of STDs, and
begin to claim the need for change in the status quo. Fundraisers will
be held to facilitate the movement and supporters will invest a great
deal of time into assisting the program. The coalescence of the STDC
movement occurs as the organization begins to hold demonstrations in
public places such as universities, high schools, parks, and even on the
streets. The main goal of this stage is for the movement to gain
supporters, to inform citizens of the rampant STD epidemic, and to
engage political leaders and lobbyists in the movement. This stage will
include public service announcements, and frequent campus

visitations encouraging safe sex and the importance of getting tested.

The formalization of STDC will occur when it becomes an established
player in the political scene. Not only will the organization hire trained
and salaried staff, but it will also gain a strong presence in various
forms of media. Interactive videos and web pages dedicated to the
eradication of STDS will be implemented. Hopefully, the message of
the movement will also be adopted by a political party or nominee,
which will also help the movement to gain momentum and to exist in
the political scene for years to come. The decline of the movement will
result from a lack of funding. The distribution of free STD testing, the
hiring of trained staff, the free access to counselors, the free literature
on STDs and abstinence, the free distribution of contraceptives, and
the maintenance of different forms of media outreach will cost the
movement an exponential amount. Despite its success in helping to
instigate social change, the movement will eventually decline.
However, its impact in the political sphere will live on, and there will be
a greater amount of STD awareness because of this movement.