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Sexual Health

Sexuality is part of our everyday life.
What are you doing to educate yourself?

Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2005. National Surveillance Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing and treating certain STD's in recent years, CDC (Center of Disease Control) estimates that 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15-24.

In addition, to the physical and psychological consequences of STDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs associated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.1 billion annually.

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 may lessen the likelihood of contracting bacterial STD's but contrary to popular belief they do little to prevent many viral infections that spread through skin-to-skin contact, like herpes and the potentially cancerous Human Papilloma Virus (HPV.)
Remember, condoms don't protect the heart.

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-Women's 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.


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