Social Disease: Illness caused by sexual transmission of an infectious agent such as a virus (AIDS, herpes), or bacillus (gonorrhea). Also refers to those essentially psychological problems (e.g. depression, alcoholism) in which individual responsibility is comfortably deferred. Finally, if Madison Avenue is to be believed, a social disease is any trait that 'really' makes you into a social leper, such as bad breath, body odor, dandruff, or wrinkles.
