Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
Uploaded by ronyxlord on Nov 17, 2011
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also called venereal diseases, are caused by germs that travel from person to person through sexual contact. Common STDs include syphilis, chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea, and AIDS. Because the germs that cause STDs die quickly outside the human body, these sicknesses are not spread through coughing, sneezing, or contact with infected objects such as toilet seats or eating utensils. Most STDs, however, can be transmitted from an infected pregnant woman to her baby, often causing serious and life-threatening complications for the infant. Some viral diseases, including AIDS and hepatitis B, are spread through direct exposure to infected blood and can be transmitted through sexual contact or through nonsexual means such as the sharing of needles for drug use.
Young people are especially at risk for many sexually transmitted diseases. Teenagers account for three million cases of STDs annually. One out of every four sexually active teenagers acquires a new STD each year. One quarter of new infections of HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) are found in people under 22. Young women are at greater risk than older women for reproductive and health complications caused by STDs.
The medical options for the treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases are somewhat limited. Some bacterial STDs, including chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea, can be treated with antibiotics if detected early enough (although the evolution of new germs resistant to antibiotics is a growing problem). Antibiotics are useless against viral STDs, however. Public health measures have therefore focused primarily on preventing the spread of STDs. Because vaccinations for STDs are still in the research stage, efforts to prevent STDs have centered on reducing risky sexual activities. Yet while most people agree that healthy and re- sponsible sexual behaviors should be promoted in the media, in clinics, and in sex education classes, profound disagreements exist as to what constitutes responsible behaviors.
Most people agree that abstinence is the most effective way of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and that people should be made aware that certain activities—including sex at an early age and sex with multiple partners or prostitutes—greatly increase the risks of contracting STDs. But many sex education authorities, such as Debra W. Haffner of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S., contend that abstinence should not be the sole emphasis of STD prevention and sex education programs. People should acknowledge that many teenagers are engaging in sexual activity....