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.

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.

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."

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."

Some Florida teens believe drinking Mountain Dew or smoking marijuana will prevent pregnancy and that swallowing a capful of bleach will prevent HIV/AIDS. One reason those dangerous myths have spread is the state's reliance on abstinence-only sex education, say advocates of a bill to require a more comprehensive approach in Florida's schools.

In a nation where sexually transmitted infections (STI) are steadily increasing, many of us would rather play Russian roulette with our bodies than be seen in a drugstore buying condoms.

Access to contraception isn't the main barrier today, although if you live in a small town and your aunt works at the drug store, you may face greater challenges.

I know the standard run-of-the-mill issues that come along with straight sex, but I'm bi, so what do I need to know about the risks that come along with gay sex?

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.

1 Cancer connection: There are more than 100 types of Human papillomaviruses or HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Most are harmless, but about 30 types put you at risk for cancer. Almost all women will have HPV infections at some point, but very few will develop cervical cancer; their immune systems will usually suppress or eliminate HPVs, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only HPV infections that do not go away over many years lead to cervical cancer.

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.

Since administrators decided against installing condom machines in University of South Carolina residence halls, students will have to go a little further for safety when they want to go all the way.

The Residence Hall Association, representing student residents, took an opinion poll that found most USC students wanted condom machines installed in dorms. Student residents and the RHA alike said the administration's decision was a disappointment.

Ah, the swinging 60s and 70s. Those were the days. Sex was an egocentric activity engaged in, solely and indiscriminately, for pleasure.

"Spreading the love" was a humanitarian activity, not a euphemism within the medical community for the increased distribution of STDs among the population. This was all, of course, before the official discovery of AIDS by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on June 5, 1981.

Syphilis is making a comeback in developed countries, spurred by illicit drug use and high-risk sexual behaviors, and many doctors are unprepared to recognize and treat it, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said syphilis has been on the rise since the beginning of the 21st century in high-income countries, but because the disease had been well controlled in the 1990s, doctors may not be screening for it.

The FDA issued an emergency alert today warning consumers of drugs being sold on the Internet falsely claiming that they can prevent or treat sexually transmitted diseases. The products are sold under the names of Tetrasil, Genisil, Aviralex, OXi-MED, Imulux, Beta-mannan, Micronutrient, Qina, and SlicPlus and make claims such as: