Sexual Health

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (S.T.D.'s)

Sexuality is part of our everyday life.

What are you doing to educate yourself?

There are over 25 different types of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's). It is the second most common type of infection in the United States (the cold is number one). Each year, more than 15 million new cases are reported. That is about 41,000 per day! A quarter of those infections occur in teens.

Pre-marital sex has turned dangerous! STD's are a SILENT epidemic. 80% of those infected do not develop initial symptoms! STD's are contagious even without symptoms being present. You cannot tell by looking at someone if they have an STD.

Could you be infected?

Do you know all the risks of having sex before marriage?

What about "safe sex"?

Common STD's

Viral

Bacterial

What should I do?

Could you be infected? Answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever had sex?
2. Are you sexually active now?
3. Do you plan to have sex before marriage?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, you are at risk. You can be infected now, or may have permanent damage from a silent disease in the past.

If you answered NO on every question, this means you are SAFE!

If you answered YES to the first two questions, it is ABSOLUTELY essential that you are tested for STD's.
If you have questions about testing, we can help you answer them! Please contact us if you are concerned.

Do you know all the risks of having sex before marriage?

Sexually Transmitted Diseases can lead to:

Sterility and infertility
Scarring
Brain disorders
Heart disease
Blindness
Dementia
Cancer (of the penis, anus or cervix)
Removal of uterus, tubes and ovaries
Liver damage
Ectopic pregnancy
And even death!

Remember: the majority of those with a STD are unaware that they have one. STD's may not show symptoms until they have already done damage to your body!

...How will you explain to your fiancé that you have or have had an STD?
...Having sex with someone means having sex with everyone they've had sex with!

What about "safe sex?"

The birth control pill and other hormonal contraceptive methods (like the patch and the depo shot) provide NO protection from STD's. Many of these methods may also have side effects for the women choosing to use them.

For years, you have heard some say, "Use a condom every time you have sex." The implication is that condoms take the risk out of sexual activity, but research shows that is just not the case. According to reliable studies, approximately 14 percent of couples using condoms for pregnancy prevention get pregnant during the first year of use. In addition, even with 100 percent use (which is uncommon), condoms at best only reduce the risk (not eliminate) of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).

The truth is, even if you use a condom every single time you have sex, you are still at risk for both pregnancy and a significant number of STDs. How serious is your risk? Keep reading...

STDs are not just humiliating or painful. They can cause infertility, cervical cancer-even death. So how effective are condoms at protecting you from infection? It depends on the disease.

Those STD's that are spread through bodily fluids (such as HIV), the condom will only reduce your risk of contracting that disease.

Some studies have shown that the condom will prevent HIV transmission about 85% of the time. Is that a risk you are willing to take?

STD's that can spread through bodily contact (such as HPV or warts, chlamydia or herpes), the condom offers significantly less protection.

STDs are a real and present danger. Due to the risk, many have turned to condoms for protection under the assumption that condoms make sex safe. Research shows that condoms reduce risk for some (not all) STDs, but they do not eliminate the risk. That is a critical distinction. Condoms do not make sex safe enough for individuals who truly wish to avoid getting STDs and suffering the possible long-term effects.
REMEMBER: Safe sex NEVER protects your heart!

Common STD's

The following are considered viral STDs and are NOT curable.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) - HPV can easily spread and may appear as warts on men. For women, there are often no visible symptoms; however, some experience vulvar burning, itching and pain. Only 1-7% of those infected develop warts.

Even without the presence of warts, HPV can cause damage. It can cause cancer of the penis for men. And for women, develops into cancer if not treated.

There are 20 million cases existing today and 60 different strains exist. 75 percent of sexually active Americans are or have previously been infected with HPV

Herpes II - Herpes causes recurrent and painful genital blisters; however, the disease is transmittable even if sores are not present.

Genital Herpes is life threatening for babies born to mothers with a fresh outbreak.

40% of those with Herpes show no symptoms. It is estimated that one out of every four women and men will become infected with Herpes during their lifetime.

Hepatitis B - The common cause of liver cancer. There are 300,000 new cases annually.

40% - 50% of children born to infected mothers develop liver cancer. Nearly 30% of those infected show no signs or symptoms.

HIV / AIDS - The CDC estimates that about 800,000 - 900,000 people are living with HIV in the United States. About one fourth of these people are unaware they are infected.

Symptoms may not appear for 5-10 years, but HIV is infectious as soon as the virus is acquired - even if not yet found by tests. HIV always results in AIDS, which is always fatal.

Symptoms can include fever, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and causes the immune system to break down.

Of those people infected with HIV/AIDS, 20% were infected during their teen years.

Common STD's

The following are considered bacterial STDs & are curable under the right conditions.

Syphilis - This is a very contagious sore (chancre) that disappears untreated, yet the disease is dormant. It reappears as months and years go by with serious results:

Consequences of this STD includes: blindness, insanity, bone and heart damage, and death.

Mothers can transmit Syphilis to the baby and cause birth defects and death for the infant.

Gonorrhea - This STD causes scarring of the urethra and urinary tract problems for men, and infertility for women.

There are more than 700,000 new cases reported annually.

A pregnant woman can pass this onto her baby causing blindness, joint infection, or a life threatening blood infection in the baby.

Chlamydia - The symptoms of Chlamydia are usually mild or there are no symptoms at all. It can cause sterility in both men, and women and permanent damage to the male urinary tract.

For women, the advanced stage may require removal of uterus, tubes, and ovaries.

There an estimated 3 million people are infected annually and 70% are not even aware they are infected with this STD because they have no symptoms. This is the most common bacterial STD in the U.S.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - This is a female disease caused by another infection (usually Chlamydia or Gonorrhea) that travels up the reproductive tract to the pelvic, even abdominal cavity. It can result in chronic pain, sterility, tubal pregnancies, adhesions, and even death.

There are 1 million new cases annually; most in the 15-19 year age group. More than 100,000 women become infertile annually because of PID.

What should I do?

If you have ever had sexual contact (oral, vaginal, or anal): Stop!

Decide today that you will start over and remain abstinent from this day forward. Do not risk continued exposure to STD's, pregnancy and the emotional consequences of sex prior to marriage!

YOU ARE WORTH WAITING FOR!!

Anyone who has ever had sexual intercourse should be tested, even if you do not have any signs or symptoms.

Go see your private health care provider immediately. They are the ones best equipped to provide you the best care that you deserve and the most comprehensive follow-up.

If seeing your own doctor is not possible, contact us and we can help you explore your options. Testing should include at least:

A blood test
A urine test
A complete exam and culture of any ulcers or sores
For woman a pap smear (and if positive then screening for HPV)

The U.S. has the highest STD rates of any country in the industrialized world. - Kaiser Family Foundation, December, 1998.

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

Every year approximately 10 billion dollars is spent on major STDs other than AIDS and their complications. This cost is shared by all Americans.

Today there are more than 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 die of AIDS.

Herpes increased 500% in the past 20 years among caucasian American teens.

Nearly 50% of african-american teens have genital herpes.

Nearly 1 in 10 teen girls has chlamydia; nearly half of all cases are girls 15-19 years old.

Over 80% of teens with STDs show no symptoms and therefore never get medical attention, leaving them exposed to the risk of serious complications years later.

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, HPV, chancroid, intestinal parasites, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis A & B can all be contracted through oral sex.

Condoms not only do not eliminate the risk of contracting an STD, they do little to prevent many viral infections spread by skin-to-skin contact, especially HPV and herpes.

New studies show that clinical depression in adolescent boys and girls is related to sexual activity and drinking.

RESOURCES:

• US Centers for Disease Control "Epidemic: Tracking the Hidden Epidemics: Trends in STDs in the United States 2000".
• US Centers for Disease Control "CDC Issues National Report Card on STDs: Gonorrhea and Syphilis Down, but Not Beaten: Chlamydia Continues to Spread Widely" 1998.
• National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, NIH, USHHS, "An Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases" July 1999.
• NIAID & National Institutes of Health, "Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease STD) Prevention, 2001.
• The Medical Institute on Sexual Health, "Oral Sex and STDs" Fall 2003.
• UPMC News Bureau: "Magee-Womens Research Institute Study Finds Undiagnosed Sexually Transmitted Disease Infection Rate of Nearly 1 in 5 Among Adolescent Females" June 7, 2001.
• The Medical Institute on Sexual Health, General Information, studies, statistics, more.
• US Centers for Disease Control, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Information.