Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Nearly half of all new STI cases occur among 15-24 year olds.
- Half of new HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds.
- By age 25, 1 of every 2 sexually active young people will contract an STI.
- Birth control pills provide no protection against or reduction in STIs.
- Some STIs left untreated can lead to permanent infertility.
- Two of the most common STIs, HPV and Genital Herpes, are caused by viruses for which there is NO cure.
- Postponing or delaying the onset of sexual activity (i.e. waiting until you are older) reduces the risk of becoming infected with an STI.
- An adolescent's cervix is more susceptible to getting infected with gonorrhea and chlamydia than an older woman's cervix, because the cells at the opening of the cervix in an adolescent are less mature/developed.
BOTTOM LINE: If you have sex with someone who has had sex with someone else, you have an excellent chance of getting a sexually-transmitted disease by the time you are 25. Get tested. Regular STI testing is essential for you to protect your health. We recommend getting tested annually.
There is no such thing as "safe sex" (outside of the context of one partner over a lifetime, as in marriage). Having "sex" (vaginal, anal, oral or just skin-to-skin "outercourse") will result in a high likelihood of contracting an STI with or without condom use.
STIs do not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnic origin, religion, income or socioeconomic status. It can happen to you.
All STIs can be passed by vaginal, anal and ORAL sex:
| Infection |
Mode of Transmission |
Duration |
Symptoms |
Complications |
Curable |
| Chlamydia |
Contact with infected genital fluids |
Months |
Females: none
Males: discharge, burning w/urination |
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID); infertility; tubal pregnancy; chronic pelvic pain |
Yes: antibiotics |
| Gonorrhea |
Contact with infected genital fluids |
Months |
Females: none
Males: discharge, burning w/urination |
PID; infertility; tubal pregnancy |
Yes: antibiotics |
| Genital Herpes |
Contact with infected skin or skin lesions |
Life |
None or painful blisters/sores that come and go |
Transmission to newborn can be life-threatening; difficulty urinating |
No cure; antiviral medications decrease duration of sores and reduce recurrences |
| HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) |
Contact with infected skin or skin lesions and/or genital fluids |
Life |
None or genital warts; abnormal pap |
Cervical cancer |
No cure; meds for warts; surgery for abnormal paps; immune system may suppress virus |
| Trichomoniasis |
Contact with genital fluids |
Years |
Discharge; burning w/urination |
Preterm Labor |
Yes: antibiotics |
| HIV/AIDS |
Contact with infected genital or body fluids |
Life |
Signs of immune system failure, such as acquiring opportunistic infections |
Cancer; fungal infections in lungs; transmission to fetus or infant; eventual death |
No cure; antivirals slow progression to AIDS, may extend life |
| Syphilis |
Skin-to-skin |
Months to years |
Painless sore, then rash; swollen lymph nodes |
Severe neurologic and cardiac problems; birth defects and/or possible death for infant |
Yes: antibiotics |
Contracting an STI often brings a sense of shame and devastation that is hard to erase, even after treatment.
Real Life:
"I'm an 18 year old male with herpes. I contracted it from my girlfriend though we're no longer together. Now, when I see an attractive girl, I feel unworthy. It's worse during an outbreak. Then I feel dirty. At what point do I tell a girl I have herpes? Do I just look for a girl who already has herpes? My life has been destroyed by my ex-girlfriend."
Think about it. The only way to guarantee freedom from STIs is to refrain from all forms of sexual activity until you are in a lifelong mutually faithful relationship (marriage)!
Don't miss this! Staying healthy involves taking care of your physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs. For many, there is something even more painful than living with an STI and that is the emotional hurt that follows broken relationships. Sexual intimacy creates more than just a physical union of two people: it creates an emotional and spiritual bond that works like super glue. When a physically intimate relationship ends, a piece of your heart gets torn off and stays with that other person. We were designed to "bond" in this special way with one person for a lifetime, and when that natural connection is broken, an emotional and spiritual "wound" is left behind. If this pattern happens repeatedly, eventually we get numb and begin to lose our ability to get emotionally close to another person. There is no "condom" for the heart--so take good care of yours; it's the only one you've got. (Check out our relationship survey.)
References
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