Which term denotes a contagious sexually transmitted disease traditionally known as a venereal disease?

• A. Peritoneal dialysis
• B. PKD
• C. Retrograde pyelogram
• D. STD

Answer: (D)

The term being tested is the label for infections that are spread through sexual contact. An STD stands for sexually transmitted disease, which is the traditional way to refer to contagious infections transmitted via sexual activity. Historically, the phrase venereal disease was used, but the modern and widely accepted term is STD (or STI in some contexts), reflecting transmission by sexual contact rather than a separate disease category. The other options describe unrelated urologic or nephrologic concepts—peritoneal dialysis is a kidney failure treatment, PKD is polycystic kidney disease, and a retrograde pyelogram is an imaging test of the urinary tract. Thus, the term that denotes a contagious sexually transmitted disease is STD.