World News and Trends: Genital herpes infects 45 million Americans
In the last two decades genital herpes has doubled among white adults in their 20s while increasing fivefold among white teenagers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now about one in five teens and adults-some 45 million Americans-has the disease, with most of them unaware that they are infected.
Although some sexually transmissible diseases have seen declines in number of infections, researchers attribute the rise in herpes infections to young people increasing their frequency of sexual activity, number of sex partners and rate of unprotected sex.
Genital herpes, which has no known cure, often causes outbreaks of painful ulcers or itching around the genitals and can lead to painful inflammation of the cervix, where it can also be spread to newborns at birth. Medical studies have also indicated that herpes sores may increase the likelihood of a person contracting the AIDS virus during sexual contact with an AIDS-infected partner.
This is but part of the damage people inflict on themselves when they ignore God's commands prohibiting sex outside the marriage relationship. Such suffering could be avoided if young people would heed the biblical advice to "flee fornication." (Sources: The Associated Press; Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18, King James Version.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: March - April 1998
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
