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risky sex
• fun sex?
• great sex?
• lots of sex?
DANGEROUS SEX!
If you are sexually active, you might not get an STD - sexually transmitted disease. But, 19,000,000 people did last year alone - that’s 52,000 new infections every day.8 Having sex is just like spinning the barrel of a revolver with one bullet in it and pulling the trigger. You might not get hurt, but then again...
Some STDs can be cured, some are life-long diseases, and some are deadly. You owe it to yourself to know about them.
Another frightening thing is that when you have sex with someone, it’s not just them you have to worry about. It’s their other partners, and the partners those partners had. If you have multiple sex partners, it’s like having sex with generations of others - and any one of them could pass disease along to you.
Could it happen to me?
Chlamydia 2.8 million new cases annually. By age 30, 50% of sexually active women have had it.1
Gonorrhea An estimated 700,000 new cases occur annually.2
HIV/AIDS Approximately 930,000 in the U.S. have HIV, 18,000 have died, 3,000,000 have died world-wide, and 40,000,000 are living with HIV or AIDS.3,4
Genital Herpes 45 million Americans are infected - 1 out of 5 adolescents and adults. 1,000,000 new cases every year.5
HPV Approximately 20,000,000 infected in the U.S. 6,200,000 new cases each year.6
PID Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - One million new cases annually. 100,000 women can never have children as a result of PID each year; 150 die.7
Pregnancy In one year alone it was found that there were over 2.1 million unintended pregnancies in women younger than 25 years old in the U.S. This represented 68% of all pregnancies during that year in this age group. 9
Won’t condoms protect me?
A recent review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that there is no clinical proof that condoms are effective in reducing the risk of infection from chlamydia, genital herpes, HPV, syphilis, chancroid or trichomoniasis, or 20 or so other STDs not listed here. Only some protection was found for men against gonorrhea infection, but none for women. Condoms were found to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDs transmission, but if you aren’t one of those lucky ones, AIDS is routinely fatal.10 The FDA (Food and Drug Administration reports that condoms typically fail to prevent pregnancy 14% of the time. 11 In short, depending on paper thin latex for protection from life-long or even deadly diseases or from pregnancy is a loser strategy. You need a better plan.
So What is the Answer?
The CDC, our national center for disease prevention, says that the surest way to avoid infection with any sexually transmitted disease is to practice sexual abstinence (abstain from any sexual contact) while you are single. If you marry, select a partner who is not infected with an STD and remain sexually faithful during marriage. Condoms do not provide complete protection from STDs. Infection can occur in both males and females whether or not a condom is used.9It’s really that simple. Avoid sexual activity. That way you absolutely avoid life-threatening disease. You also avoid the emotional heartache that goes with the hookup/have sex/breakup routine. You feel good about yourself, and you are able to offer your future spouse something special. But even if you have been sexually active, you can get a second start. Get tested immediately because early treatment can lesson the impact of most diseases. Start now protecting yourself from sexual disease the only way that really works 100% of the time. Sexual health is a choice - your choice. Take action now and take pride in having made the right choice.
Why Should I Worry?
Chlamydia - Some men experience discharge from the penis and burning with urination. Can lead to sterility. In women, usually no symptoms. Some experience pain and/or vaginal discharge. Considered to be the most common cause of sterility. Advanced stage may require removal of uterus, tubes, and ovaries. Can cause PID with permanent damage. 2.8 million new cases annually. By age 30, 50% of sexually active women have had chlamydia.1
Gonorrhea - In men pus from urethra and burning upon urination. Sterility, scarring of the urethra and urinary tract problems. In women, symptoms can include pelvic pain, painful urination and pus-like discharge and sterility. Surgery in severe cases. Common cause of PID with permanent damage. Can increase risk of HIV infection two to five times in both sexes. An estimated 700,000 new cases occur annually.2
HIV/AIDS - Fever, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph glands, resulting in immune system breakdown, death. Must be tested, as symptoms mimic other diseases. Approximately 930,000 in the U.S. have HIV, 18,000 have died, 3,000,000 have died world-wide, and 40,000,000 are living with HIV or AIDS.3,4
Genital Herpes - In men and women, lesions appear at the site of infection - periodic eruptions of painful blister and ulcers anywhere on the body. Continuous outbreaks. Eventually may lead to hospitalization. Lifetime medication required. Causes infant death. 45 million infected. 1 out of 5 adolescents and adults. 1,000,000 new cases every year in the U.S.5
HPV Human Papilloma virus - In men, wart-like genital growths. Cancer of the penis and anus. In women, often no visible symptoms. May be vulvar burning itching and pain. Abnormal pap smears. Can develop into cervical cancer if not treated. Approximately 20,000,000 infected in the U.S. 6,200,000 new cases each year.6
PID Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - An STD complication in women only. Often symptoms are minor and mistaken for menstrual cramps. Chlamydia and gonorrhea my lead to PID. Ectopic Pregnancy (fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tubes instead of uterus). Can be life-threatening. Sterility, & cancer common. Permanent damage to the reproductive organs. One million new cases annually, most 15-19 years old. 100,000 women become infertile as a result of PID each year and 150 die.7
Resources
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD Facts and Information: Chlamydia, Fact Sheet, May 2004, Technical update November 15, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD Facts and Information: Gonorrhea, Fact Sheet, May 2004, Technical update August 4, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea/STDFact-gonorrhea.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Basic Statistics, HIV Estimate, May 2001, Technical update August 5, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention, FAQ, Symptoms; Testing; Treatment, Revised February 17, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faqs.htm#symptom, accessed 2-21-05.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD Facts and Information: Genital Herpes, Fact Sheet, May 2004, Technical update August 4, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD Fact Sheet: Genital HPV Infection, May 2004, Technical update December 2, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD Facts and Information: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Fact Sheet, May 2004, Technical update August 4, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/std/PID/STDFact-PID.htm, accessed 2-21-05.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2003 - National Data on Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis, Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September 2004, found at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/2003SurveillanceSummary.pdf, accessed 2-23-05.
9. Henshaw SK, Unintended pregnancy in the United States, Family Planning Perspectives, 1998, 30(1), calculated from table 1, found at: http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/3002498.html, accessed on 3-7-05.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention June 12-13, 2000, found at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/stds/condomreport.pdf (A review of 138 scientific studies concerning condom effectiveness published July 20, 2001.), accessed 2-23-05.
11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Devices and Radiological Health, Guidance for Industry - Uniform Contraceptive Labeling, July 23, 1998, http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ode/contrlab.html, accessed on 3-7-05.
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04-01-05
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