If you are a teenager and even thinking about having sex, please realize that choosing to have sex now may be one of the worst decisions you will ever make. Contrary to what some teens believe, you cannot tell by looking at a boyfriend or girlfriend whether or not he or she has an STD, and if you engage in any kind of sexual activity (vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, or hand sex), it is very possible that you will become infected if the other person is infected. If you become infected, you may not only suffer from a disease, but you might pass it on to your future husband, wife, or child, or perhaps die in your 20's as a result of complications due to AIDS.

Please do not be foolish enough to risk your health, your future, and your life for a few moments of what you hope will be a pleasurable experience. It simply does NOT make any sense. Abstinence - choosing to wait until marriage to have sex - is the only choice that is guaranteed to protect you from the physical, emotional, mental, psychological, social, moral, ethical, and spiritual damage teenage sex can and often does cause. Save sex for marriage, marry an uninfected person, remain faithful to each other, and you will never have to worry about getting an STD.

WHAT ARE STDS?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), once called venereal diseases (VD), are among the most common infectious diseases in the United States today. A sexually transmitted disease is a virus, bacteria, or some other type of disease organism that is passed from one infected person to another individual through any kind of sexual activity.

STD infections have greatly increased over the last few decades in part because some teens are choosing to have sex at a younger age even though they tend to get married later than the previous generation. Those who start having sex at a young age are more likely to have several sexual partners before they get married. The more sexual partners a person has, the more likely it is that one or more of them will be infected with an STD which obviously increases the individual's chance for becoming infected also.

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HOW DOES SOMEONE GET INFECTED WITH AN STD?

As stated above, sexually transmitted diseases are passed from one STD-infected person to another through any kind of sexual relationship: Vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, or hand sex (touching the sexual parts of another person's body). Sex itself does not cause a disease. Getting STD-infected fluid - vaginal fluid, seminal fluid, or blood - from an infected person's body into someone else's body will almost always lead to infection.

In rare instances, some STDs can be passed from a mother to her baby before or during birth. Some of these infections of the newborn can be cured easily, but others may cause a baby to be permanently disabled or even die.

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BASIC FACTS ABOUT STDS

Below is a list of some important facts about sexually transmitted diseases. (NOTE: Specific information about certain diseases like chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papilloma virus, syphillis, and HIV can be found in the section, COMMON STDS AMONG TEENS below.)

• There are more than 20 STDs some of which are incurable and even deadly.
  
  
• The U.S. has the highest rate of STDs in the world.
  
  
• More than 12 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur in the United States each year.
  
  
• It is estimated that 40,000,000 Americans are infected with genital herpes.
  
• There are 500,000 new genital herpes infections each year.
  
  
• One out of five Americans 12 years of age and older has genital herpes.
  
  
• If a baby is delivered through the birth canal to a woman showing signs of genital herpes, there is a high risk that the baby will become mentally retarded or possibly die.
  
  
• 24 million Americans are infected with human papilloma virus (HPV) which is the leading cause of cancer of the reproductive anatomy - the cervix, vulva, vagina, and penis.
  
  
• 4,000,000 cases of chlamydia occur annually.
  

• There are 1,300,000 new cases of gonorrhea each year, and some strains of gonorrhea have developed a resistance to penicillin, the drug most often used to fight this disease.
  
  
• Each year in the United States, 100,000 women are made sterile (unable to have children) as a result of the damage done by gonorrhea.
  
  
• If a woman gets infected with chlamydia, it may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and even if she only has one infection, there is a 25% chance she will never have children. (1,000,000 new cases of pelvic inflammatory disease occur each year.)
  
  
• Syphilis is at a 40-year high with 134,000 new infections per year.
  
  
• If syphilis goes untreated, it can cause brain damage, heart disease, miscarriages, deafness, blindness, and death.
  
  
• 50-80% of STD-infected individuals have no symptoms, particularly women.
  
  
• Health problems caused by STDs tend to be more severe and more frequent for women than for men, in part because many infected women have no symptoms, so they do not know they need medical attention until serious problems have already developed.
  
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TEENS and STDS
Medical experts and researchers say there is an epidemic of STD infections among young people in America today, and the damage done to the STD-infected teens can be devastating not only to them, but also to their future sexual partners, husbands, wives, and children as the information below indicates.

• Approximately 3,000,000 American teens will contract as STD this year.
  (Division of STD Prevention. The Challenge of STD Prevention in the United States. August 5, 1998; www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/STD_Prevention_in_the_United_States.htm.)
  
  
• On average, another American teenager becomes infected with an STD every 10 seconds!
  (Gerald J. Stine. AIDS UPDATE 1999. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1999, p. 350).
  
  
• One in four teens will contract as STD before finishing high school.
  (Gerald J. Stine. AIDS UPDATE 1999. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1999, p. 350).
  
  
• 63% (nearly 2 out of 3) of all STD cases occur among persons under the age of 25.
  
  
• One out of five Americans older than 11 years of age has genital herpes.
  (Joe S. McIlhaney. Sexual Health Update Newsletter, Winter 1997, Vol. 5, No. 2, p. 2.)
  
  
• Approximatly 30% of all sexually active adolescent girls are infected with chlamydia.
  (JAMA. 1998;280:564-565.)
  
  
• 46% of sexually active teenagers are infected with human papilloma virus (HPV) which can cause cancer.
  (Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., M.D. 1001 HEALTH-CARE QUESTIONS WOMEN ASK. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998, p. 518.)
  
  
• The risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is as much as 10 times greater for 15-year-old females than 24-year-old females.
  
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WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF GETTING AN STD?

Many teens think they are invincible - they believe nothing bad is going to happen to them. Yet that simply is not the case for millions of teens who get infected with STDs each year. So what are the chances of a sexually active teenager getting a sexually transmitted disease? Take a look at the facts below and decide for yourself.

• According to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, if someone has had sex with more than one partner, he or she probably has had sex with an infected person and may have an STD.
  
  
• Because one out of four teens gets an STD before graduating from high school, and since approximately two out the four have had sex (48%), the chances of a sexually active teenager getting an STD are one out of two or 50%! Stated another way, for every two teens who have had sex before graduating from high school, one of the two will have an STD!
  (Gerald J. Stine. AIDS UPDATE 1999. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1999, p. 350).
  
  
• Sexually active females under the age of 20 are 3 times more likely to have chlamydia than older women.
  
  
• Because 46% of sexually active teenagers are infected with human papilloma virus (HPV), if someone has sex with four or five people who have had sex before, probably two of those individuals are already infected. Therefore, it is very likely the person having sex with them also will get infected with this incurable, cancer-causing STD!
  
  
• Studies have shown that the younger people are when they start having sex, the greater the number of sexual partners they will probably have; the more partners a person has, the greater the risk is that one or more of them will have an STD, thus causing one's chances of infection to be that much greater!
  
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WHAT ABOUT "USING PROTECTION" - CONDOMS?

Quite often young people are encouraged to "use protection" whenever they engage in any kind of sexual relationships. What kind of protection? Condoms. But how effective are condoms? Do they always work? Do they ever fail to protect? The information below reveals some important facts about condoms.

There is always a risk of becoming infected even if condoms are used every time, because there has never been a study which indicates that condoms will protect someone from getting infected with an STD 100% of the time. The only truly "safe sex" is abstinence - choosing to wait until marriage to have sex. If a person waits until he or she gets married to have sex and marries an uninfected person and they remain faithful to one another, neither of them has to worry about getting an STD.

So how much "protection" do condoms provide when it comes to STD infections? The failure rates of condoms with some of the more serious STDs are listed below.

• HIV/AIDS: The failure rate of a condom in preventing the transmission of the AIDS virus (HIV) is about 31% or nearly 1 out of 3. Simply put, if someone has sex with an HIV-infected person three times and a brand new condom is used each time, one of the three condoms will fail to protect the uninfected person, so he or she may become infected. (NOTE: If one out of three airplanes fails to land safely, then most people would say flying on an airplane is not safe. So if one out of three condoms fails to prevent HIV-infection, it seems obvious that condoms are not as safe as some people may think. They might help protect someone, but there are no guarantees. The risk is simply too high. It makes far more sense to choose abstinence (to wait until marriage to have sex), because abstinence alone is 100% safe.)
• (Dr. Susan Weller of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston analyzed 11 U.S. HIV studies to gauge condom effectiveness, and found that condoms are only 69 percent effective in preventing heterosexual HIV transmission. (Social Science and Medicine, June 1993.)
  
  
• Gonorrhea: The failure rate of a condom in preventing the transmission of gonorrhea is between 40%-60% or 1 out of 2. This means that if a person has sex twice with someone infected with gonorrhea, probably he or she will get infected even if a new condom is used both times.
  (d'Oro, L.C. et al: (1994) "Barrier Methods of Contraception, Spermicides, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Review". GENITOURINARY MEDICINE, Vol. 70. pp. 410-417).
  
  
• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): Medical experts says that condoms provide virtually no protection against human papilloma virus which is the leading cause of cancer of the reproductive anatomy especially the cervix, vulva, vagina, and penis. In other words, if someone has sex with an HPV-infected person, and condoms are used every time, the uninfected individual is almost certain to become infected. Furthermore, this STD can also be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact - simply touching HPV-infected fluid. (NOTE: Nearly all cancer of the cervix is the result of HPV infection.)
  (National Institutes of Health. (April 1-3, 1996). Cervical Cancer: NIH Consensus Development Statement, Online, 43(1), 1-30; Dr. Kenneth Noller, OB/GYN CLINICAL ALERT, September 1992).
  
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COMMON STDS AMONG TEENS

So what if a teen fails to choose abstinence and instead chooses to have sex with or without condoms and gets infected with one of the more common STDs? What are those diseases, what symptoms might a person have, and what effects might the diseases have on an infected teenager? The information below answers these and other questions about some of the most common STDs.

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is now the most common bacterial STD with an estimated 4,000,000 new cases occurring each year. In both men and women, chlamydia infection may cause an abnormal genital discharge and burning with urination. However, 70% of those infected with chlamydia have no symptoms.

In women, untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which is one of the most common causes of infertility in women and of ectopic pregnancies (pregnancies outside the uterus). Yet once it has been diagnosed, chlamydia infections are treatable with a antibiotic drugs.

Gonorrhea
There are nearly 1,500,000 cases of gonorrhea each year in this country. Even though 80% of those infected with gonorrhea have no symptoms, the most common symptoms of gonorrhea are a discharge from the vagina or penis and painful or difficult urination. The most serious complications occur in women, and, as with chlamydia, these complications include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside of the uterus), and infertility (unable to have children).

Historically, penicillin has been used to treat gonorrhea, but several penicillin-resistant forms of the bacteria have recently appeared. Other antibiotics or combinations of drugs must be used to treat these resistant strains.

Genital Herpes
The genital herpes virus affects an estimated 30 million Americans. Approximately 500,000 new cases of this incurable disease develop annually. Herpes infections are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). The major symptoms of herpes are painful blisters and open sores in the genital area. There may also be a tingling or burning sensation in the legs, buttocks, or genital region. The herpes sores usually disappear within 2 to 3 weeks, but the virus remains in the body because there is no cure, and the sores may reappear from time to time throughout the individual's life.

Severe or frequent outbreaks of genital herpes are treated with acyclovir, an antiviral drug available by prescription. This drug helps control the symptoms but does not eliminate the virus from the body. Pregnant women who are infected with genital herpes can transmit the virus to their babies. Untreated HSV infection in newborns can result in mental retardation or death.

Human Papilloma Virus (Genital Warts)
Genital warts (also called venereal warts, or condylomata acuminata) are caused by an STD called human papilloma virus (HPV). These warts first appear as small, hard, painless bumps in the vaginal area, on the penis, or around the anus. If medical treatment is not sought, they may grow and develop a fleshy, cauliflower-like appearance.

Genital warts infect 500,000 Americans each year. Scientists have discovered that HPV also causes several types of cancer of the reproductive anatomy particularly cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, and penis. In fact, 93 to 98% of all cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. More than 5,000 women each year die as a result of cancer of the cervix.

According to the Medical Institute on Sexual Health, 46% of sexually active teenagers are infected with human papilloma virus (HPV), and thus have an increased risk of getting cancer. Stated another way, if someone has sex with four or five people who have had sex before, probably two of those individuals will be infected with this incurable, cancer-causing disease. Experts on HPV infections agree that condoms provide "little or no protection" against this potentially life-threatening STD.

Even though human papilloma virus is incurable, the genital warts can be treated with a topical drug (cream or ointment applied to the skin), by freezing, or with injections of a type of interferon. If the warts are very large, they may have to be removed surgically.

Syphilis
Syphilis has increased dramatically in recent years, and now infections are at a 40-year high with more than 130,000 cases reported annually. The first symptoms of syphilis may go undetected because they are very mild and disappear spontaneously. The initial symptom is a chancre (pronounced shanker) - a painless open sore that usually appears on the penis or around or inside the vagina. If untreated, syphilis may go on to more advanced stages causing serious damage to the heart and/or central nervous system.

A severe infection in pregnant women may create a number of problems such as spontaneous abortions, premature births, and infections in newborn infants. Congenital or perinatal infection (infection that occurs either during or before birth) occurs in 30-70 percent of infants born to highly infected mothers, and these infections may include pneumonia, blinding eye infections, and permanent neurological damage.

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
The hepatitis B virus is an STD with severe complications including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver carcinoma (cancer). Of approximately 200,000 new hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in the U.S. each year, approximately half are transmitted through sexual intercourse. Approximately one third of the persons with acute hepatitis B virus infections in 1995 had a history of another STD.

Currently, there are no specific treatments for the acute symptoms of viral hepatitis. Doctors recommend bed rest, a healthy diet, and the avoidance of alcoholic beverages. A genetically engineered form of a naturally occurring protein, interferon alpha, is used to treat people with chronic hepatitis B, but there is no cure for this STD.

HIV and AIDS
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV attacks a person's immune system, and when the immune system is no longer able to destroy disease organisms ("germs"), the infected individual becomes sick and dies from some opportunistic illness - a sickness which takes the "opportunity" to kill the person who has AIDS.

Transmission of the virus primarily occurs during sexual activity (vaginal, oral, anal, or hand sex (touching the genital parts of someone's body), or by sharing drug needles used to inject intravenous drugs. Also some individuals have become HIV-infected from tattoos, body piercing, French kissing (when there is HIV-infected blood present), blood transfusions with infected blood, and by sharing razors or earrings with infected individuals.

If you want more information about HIV and AIDS, go to the AIDS section in this website or call the U.S. Public Health Service confidential toll-free hotline number: 1-800-342-2437.

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HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE AN STD?

Fifty to eighty percent (50-80%) of those infected with STDs have no symptoms, so a person might be infected and not know it! The only way to know for sure is to get tested. Medical experts recommend that all teens and young adults who have had sex should get tested for sexually transmitted diseases at least once a year. Doctors will not automatically test for STDs, so a person has to specifically ask to be tested. The type of test used will depend on the particular STD they are looking for.

Therefore, if you have had sex, you need to get tested regardless of whether or not you think you or your partner have an STD. Please call your family doctor, a nearby health clinic, or an STD clinic which might even provide confidential, low cost (or free) STD testing and treatment. If you prefer not to go to your regular doctor and want to find someplace else to get tested, call your county health department or the National STD/AIDS Hotline at 1-800-227-8922. The earlier you get tested and receive treatment, the less damage, pain, and long-term problems you will have.

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CONCLUSION

As stated at the beginning of this section, sexually transmitted diseases are at an all time high among teenagers and adults in America today. If you are a teenager and you are even thinking about having sex, remember this: You cannot tell by looking at your boyfriend or girlfriend whether or not he or she has an STD, and if you engage in any kind of sexual activity with an infected person, you are very likely to become infected. If that happens, you may suffer from an incurable disease, pass it on to loved ones - future husbands, wives, or children - or wind up dying in your 20's - in the "prime" of your life! Why would you be foolish enough to risk your health, your future, and your life for a few moments of what you hope will be a pleasurable experience? It simply does NOT make any sense. Abstinence - choosing to wait until marriage to have sex - is the only choice that is guaranteed to protect you from the physical, emotional, mental, psychological, social, moral, ethical, and spiritual harm teenage sex can and often does cause. Save sex for marriage, marry an uninfected person, and remain faithful to one another forever, and you will never have to worry about getting an STD.

For additional information on STDs, check out the following sites:

www.medinstitute.org - STD information (Medical Institute for Sexual Health)

www.epigee.org - Additional information on specific STDs

www.cdcpin.org - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.kemc.edu - On-line medical dictionary