What is an STD?
STD stands for Sexually Transmitted Disease. There are more that 25 major STDs, many with no cure. You can be infected with an STD through any type of sexual activity. There are Bacterial STDs and Viral STDs. Bacterial STDs include Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis. Viral STDs include Herpes, HPV (Human Papillomavirus), and HIV which causes AIDS – there is no cure for viral sexually transmitted diseases – you have them for life.
How do you get it?
STDs are transferred from an infected person to a new person in bodily fluids – through vaginal, oral or anal sex. Over 65 million people in the United States have an INCURABLE STD. (CDC, 2000) If you have had sex, even once, even if you have no symptoms of an STD – it is very important for you to see a doctor and get tested. Find out more about sexually transmitted diseases – their symptoms and long term effects by talking with one of our counselors.
How at risk are you?
To figure our your risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases,
place your cursor over the the total number of sexual partners that you have had.
These results are assuming that your partners have all had the same number of partners as you have.
'When you have sex with someone, you are having sex with everyone they have had sex with for the last 10 years, and everyone they and their partners have had sex with for the last 10 years."
-- C. Everett Koop, M.D.
Former U.S. Surgeon General
Facts:
Of the more than 15 million new STD infections each year:
two thirds will occur in people under 25 years of age
one in four will occur in teenagers
Today there are more that 30 STDs and over 200 strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
A British study found that HPV infects 46% of teenage girls after their first sexual intercourse.
HPV is directly linked to 99.7% of all cervical cancers. Nearly as many women die of cervical cancer each year as do by AIDS.
Approximately 20% (one in every five persons) over the age of 12 are infected with genital herpes. (Incurable STD)
African Americans are disproportionately affected by STDs; Gonorrhea rates are 30 times higher in African Americans than in whites.
Nearly 1 in 10 teen girls has Chlamydia; nearly half of all cases are diagnosed in girls between the ages of 15-19.
Over 80% of teens with STDs show no symptoms and therefore never get medical attention.
In a national Kaiser Family Foundation survey, one out of every five sexually active teens reported that oral sex is safe sex. However, HIV, herpes, Chancroid, intestinal parasites, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis A & B can all be contracted through oral sex.
What about Condoms?
This is such an important question. Are they effective? What about slippage and breakage? Studies show that condoms slip 1.6 to 3.6 percent of the time. This can result in pregnancy or an STD. Centers for disease control and prevention, Workshop summary 2000
Condoms cannot actually protect against any STD that has been studied. The risk reduction against STDs that is found in scientific studies requires condom use 100% of the time (with the possible exception of two STDs). Even with all of the teaching about condom use, the National Survey of Family Growth and the Youth risk behavior survey show that rarely do even 50% of those surveyed report consistent condom use. Centers for disease control and prevention, Workshop summary 2000
Taking a chance with your safety and condoms is a very risky game. Condoms do not provide complete protection from pregnancy or STD infections. The infection can occur in both males and females even when a condom is used.
