Quick Answer
VD (venereal disease) is the historical term for what we now call STDs or STIs. 'Venereal' comes from Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and was the standard medical terminology until the 1980s, when HIV/AIDS prompted a shift toward less stigmatizing, more precise language.
- VD served as the primary terminology for sexually transmitted conditions from the 1500s through the 1970s.
- The term fell out of official use because it carried heavy moral stigma and collided with public-health efforts to normalize testing.
- British English still uses 'GUM clinic' (genitourinary medicine) rather than the American 'STD clinic.'
- The progression went: VD to STD to STI, each step reducing stigma and increasing precision.
Context Most Pages Skip
Language evolves with medicine: VD treated all sexually transmitted conditions as a single moral category; modern terminology distinguishes infections by organism, treatability, and clinical presentation, enabling appropriate responses rather than blanket condemnation.
Why you still see 'VD'
Older medical records, UK/Ireland public health signage, and some state laws still use the term. It's not wrong — it's just outdated, like calling a smartphone a 'telephone.'
Sources & Further Reading
- CDC — Sexually Transmitted Infections
- CDC STI Treatment Guidelines
- WHO — Sexually transmitted infections fact sheet
- MedlinePlus — Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Figures reflect CDC surveillance and WHO estimates; they are population statistics, not personal risk predictions.