It seems that STI (sexually transmitted infection) is the new trendy nomenclature and that STD (sexually transmitted disease) has fallen into disfavor.
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Why the change? Because things like crab lice aren’t a disease?
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When did STI appear?
And whatever happened to VD?
Maybe this is a distinction without much of a difference but an infection is not necessarily the same as a disease, so there might be a need for both terms to coexist peacefully.
The CDC web site turns up about 3,190 hits for “STI” and 42,100 for “STD”.
A Google fight shows different results:
sexually transmitted disease: 177,000
sexually transmitted infection: 194,000
But:
STI:33 million
STD: 78.4 million
That was so last week.
An infection does not always cause a disease.
Disease: Any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.
Infection: Invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues.
Many infections don’t disrupt normal bodily functioning. A latent TB infection indicates that the tuberculosis bacillus is hibernating somewhere in a person’s body, but not causing any damage. TB disease, on the other hand, is where the TB organisms are replicating in such a way as to damage the person’s body.
Syphilis also has a latent phase, where it may reside in the host for years or decades without causing debility.
Having said all that, I still say STD. 
You mean STD doesn’t stand for Subscriber Trunk Dialling? All this time I thought there was this killer disease you could get from telephones.
I’ve heard that we’re supposed to call them “STIs” now because “infection” sounds more treatable than “disease”.
Doesn’t Volkswagen make the STI?
Back seat isn’t big enough.
Yes, because if wreckless sex has consequences, people will have to be responsible [gasp].
Maybe the word “disease” has lost simply its edge since alcoholism has been labeled one.
That’s why you get a Impreza WRX STI. It’s a hatchback.
Wreckless sex is sooo boring.
Reckless sex, however… lemme tell ya! 
A little of column A, a little of column B:
http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/sexual_health/sti/sti_home.htm
As for “venereal disease” (along with “social disease”), my guess is that whereas it once was seen as desirable to use terms that were deliberately obscure and confusing (is it spread by socializing with people from Venus?), the goal now is to be as clear as possible about how the infections/diseases are spread.
Deleted due to ED…To prevent audial confusion I suppose.
Interesting link Duke, thanks.
It’s hard to get into an accident if you’re in the back seat of a Volkswagen.
I always thought that VD was dropped because it places blame too heavily on females.
Once you’ve already got the disease (infection?), that little difference might make you feel better about your chances of recovery. You’ve got a point if we’re talking about prevention, but for people who need treatment, perhaps the change is a good thing.
The only link I can see is that venereal is derived from Venus. Is that the idea?
Yeah. Venereal=vagina=female kind of chain of thought.
There’s also this weird vibe I’ve gotten in older literature where the girl was the dirty one who spreads disease, and the guys are always victims.
Maybe I’m looking too hard at it (woot! Double entendre!)
Well, that’s just ye olde “girls who do it are dirty whores” double standard at work, so that should be easy enough to cast aside.
You know, unless you’re into that …