STDs
The growth of sexually transmitted diseases has become increasingly larger among college students in the United States. According to the New York State Department of Health, one in five teens gets a sexually transmitted disease each year in the United States. Also, the Alan Guttmacher Institute in New York stated that, "nationally, nearly one million young women under age 20 become pregnant each year. That means close to 2800 teens get pregnant each day." Although these statistics are escalating each year, many Catholic institutions do not provide students with the forms of contraception that can help prevent these statistics from increasing.
Teenagers are confused over sexually transmitted infections
Teenagers are putting themselves at risk by inconsistent and incorrect use of condoms, a study says.
Only about a third of those aged 16 to 18 used condoms regularly, the sexual health charity Brook found.
The study also showed some were not using condoms properly and were using them only as a form of contraception, rather than to prevent infections.
Researchers called for sex and relationships education to become a compulsory part of the curriculum.
TRENTON, N.J. - Condoms do a great job of stopping the spread of AIDS and a pretty good job of preventing pregnancy. But the evidence they protect against other sexually transmitted diseases is surprisingly spotty.
Republican Sen. Tom Coburn and groups promoting abstinence are pushing to make condom labels "medically accurate," even blocking appointment of a new federal drug agency chief until the labels are changed. "Safe sex" advocates fear that could undermine public confidence, decreasing their use.
Condoms can reduce your risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, but just how effective are they? On ?Today?s Woman,? we take a look at condoms. Dr. Judith Reichman, a ?Today? contributor and gynecologist, was invited on the show to share the latest information on STDs and tips on how to prevent getting one.
Face it: Accidents happen. One night a condom could break. Or you stupidly might not have used one at all. But don't panic. Here's a complete primer on everything you need to know about preventing pregnancy and protecting yourself from STDs after you've done the deed.
AUSTIN - Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders on Monday said condoms are more likely to protect teens against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy than vows of abstinence.
"Many of our children don't use condoms because we don't teach them about condoms," she said. "Our government tells them that condoms will break. I always say, the vows of abstinence break far more easily than latex condoms."
In June 2000, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), convened a workshop to evaluate the published evidence establishing the effectiveness of latex male condoms in preventing STDs, including HIV. A summary report from that workshop was completed in July 2001 (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ dmid/stds/condomreport.pdf). This fact sheet is based on the NIH workshop report and additional studies that were not reviewed in that report or were published subsequent to the workshop (see link for additional references). Most epidemiologic studies comparing rates of STD transmission between condom users and non-users focus on penile-vaginal intercourse.
This page has statistics and studies from reputable institutions citing the effectiveness of male latex condoms. The last section addresses some common myths about condoms.
The following statistics are from the fact sheet "The Truth About Latex Condoms," developed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS).
One out of 4 women and one out of 5 men have no knowledge about their sexual partners' history.
Two-thirds of 1,000 women age 18 to 60 knew nothing or very little about STDs (other than HIV/AIDS) in 1995.
The highest at-risk groups are adolescents and gays. African American and Hispanic women are also in the high-risk group.
The rate of unwanted pregnancies and incidence of disease is alarming...
Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders on Monday said condoms are more likely to protect teens against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy than vows of abstinence.
"Many of our children don't use condoms because we don't teach them about condoms," she said. "Our government tells them that condoms will break. I always say, the vows of abstinence break far more easily than latex condoms."
There's an argument out there that oral sex is not sex. For some grown-ups, it's a way to deny that they're cheating. To some young people, oral sex preserves virginity?technically speaking?and allows for what is perceived as risk-free sexual intimacy. From a medical perspective, however, this is sex?and generally, as practiced, it's unsafe. People seem clueless that sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human papillomavirus can take hold in parts of the oral cavity during sex with infected partners and that the oral contact can infect the genitals, too. HPV is a particularly scurrilous threat, since it incubates silently in the back of the mouth and is now linked to a dangerous form of throat cancer in both men and women similar to the one that arises in the cervix.
A Web site that enables people with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to send anonymous email warnings to their partners could help slow a rise in new infections, a New York health official said.
InSpot.org uses the E-Card model to send messages like "I'm So Sorry" to notify people that they may have been exposed to a disease. It also offers information about getting tested and treatment.
SCHOOLS have been criticised for encouraging underage sex by giving pupils free condoms. Teenagers at secondary schools in Edinburgh and West Lothian have received the contraceptives, in a bid to curb unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
Maria was offended when her daughter started to lecture her about safe sex. At age 78, she had been a widow for 11 years, and her relationship with Edward was filling an important need in her life. "We are not going to get married," she told her daughter, "because that would complicate matters with our property and our children. And I'm too old to get pregnant. So what is it that you're so worried about?"
At the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference held in Chicago in early March, Dr. Sara Forhan released an alarming set of data referring to a study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in female teenagers. Forhan studied 838 participants in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, all of whom were female teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19. The study showed that approximately one in four teens had one of the four most common STDs found in women-HPV (Human papillomavirus,) Chlamydia, HSV-2 (Herpes simplex virus type 2), or Trichomoniasis.
Back in the day it was called VD for venereal disease. And then we had STD for sexually transmitted disease. At present, the medically appropriate term is STI, for sexually transmitted infection. The terminology changes, as does the awareness about them and the number of people afflicted. With an increase in education and awareness about condoms and STI testing, one might think that the numbers are going down. But the horizon ain't totally rosy. Let's check in on some stats of those with bacterial ants in the pants.
Ideally, that "facts of life" talk you have with your children should be a series of sex ed discussions that cover a range of topics, rather than one long talk, according to a new study. "Because of discomfort with the topic, there is that hope that it can be taken care of with a single talk," says Steven C. Martino, PhD, study researcher and a behavioral scientist at Rand Corp. in Pittsburgh.
More than one in four teenage girls is infected with common sexually transmitted diseases, federal researchers reported Tuesday in a new study that for the first time quantifies a persistent problem. Young women and girls ages 14 to 19 in "alarming" numbers are contracting human papilloma virus, chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis.
Young travelers and sex tourists are returning from exotic locations with more than just tans and souvenirs. For some, infections such as syphilis and HIV are lingering reminders of a romance overseas. "A large proportion of people are having sexual intercourse with new partners when they go abroad...and are putting themselves at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)," said Dr Karen Rogstad of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, England.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of genital warts, and some subtypes of the virus can cause cancer. Now, researchers report that circumcision and regular condom use seem to reduce the risk of penile HPV infection.
As students make the decision to become sexually active, they should bear in mind the possible physical consequences -- namely sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy.
Think no-underwear zone, Sarah Beth Basinger urges the Hamilton Southeastern High School freshmen, as some shift uncomfortably in their seats. "It's not because I want to be mean. It's not because I want to be awful. It's not because I want to destroy your life," says Basinger, a teacher with Creating Positive Relationships, an abstinence-only sex-education curriculum used there, and by some other schools in Indiana and around the world.
They reduce chances of pregnancy over a year's time to 3% with perfect use and 14% with typical use, compared with 85% with no birth control. (Perfect use means they're used every time and put on before any skin-to-skin contact.) ?With perfect use, chances of HIV infection are reduced about 80%.
What is HIV? We answer the question What Is HIV? We also provide infection rates, prevention tips, how it is not transmitted, the orgin of HIV and everything you ever needed to know about HIV/AIDS.
Question: What is Chlamydia?- We answer the question and provide detailed information on this STD.
What is Gonorrhea? We answer this question and provide you with symptoms, treatments and other information on this STD.
What is Syphilis? - We answer this question and provide symptoms, treatment information and answers to other questions about Syphilis.
