Frightening News About Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
A study by the United States CDC finds that one quarter of female teenagers in the U.S. has one or more common sexually transmitted disease (STD).
The study included almost a thousand 14 to 19 year old girls, a nationally representative sample of the U.S. general population. The study is relevant to you if you are sexually active and if either you or your partner ever have or have had other sexual partners.
Diseases analyzed included HPV (human papillomavirus), herpes simplex virus type 2, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia. High risk types of HPV were evaluated including two that cause genital warts and 23 types that cause cancer. This study did not look at syphilis, HIV, or gonorrhea, so it is possible that the proportion of girls infected with STDs is higher than the study suggests.
You should not ignore some frightening results that this study came up with. First, the most common disease was HPV, which has been closely linked to cancer and genital warts. This virus infects both women and men and can cause cervical cancer and cancer of the penis. HPV is also a potential cause of mouth and throat cancer. The risk of infection and cancer can be substantially reduced through the use of condoms and oral dams during sex.
Second, only half of the teens in the study reported ever having had sex. Among the girls who identified themselves as sexually active, forty percent had one or more STDs. Among girls who reported only one lifetime sex partner, over 20 percent had at least one disease, and girls with three or more partners had a disease prevalence of more than 50 percent.
A large variety of condoms work quite well to provide protection from disease at the same time some designs enhance sexual pleasure. It is impossible to be sure of the sexual history of many attractive potential partners, but it is easy to take control of your own risk.
A final note for girls and women: Infection with a disease called chlamydia is on the rise. Chlamydia is often free of noticeable symptoms, but it can cause infertility. The disease can be carried by either gender, but its transmission between partners can be significantly reduced with proper condom use.
If you find it embarrassing to buy condoms at your local store, or if your store doesn’t carry a wide selection of condoms, you can buy dental dams online to protect your privacy, find a huge variety, and save money at the same time.
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