What are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD): Is an infectious disease that is spread by sexual contact. Also called Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).

Both are essentially the same thing and the terms are used interchangeably. The usage of STI is becoming more preferred by the health world thanks in part to a less negative stigma. However, technically speaking having an STI means that an individual has an infection, but that it has not yet developed into a disease. Which means medically speaking all STDs start out as STIs Example: If a woman with HPV does not have any symptoms, but she carries the virus. She has an STI; but if she develops cervical cancer from HPV, she now has an STD since cancer is a disease.

The Facts About STDs/STIs There are over 110 million cases in the U.S. with 20 million new infections each year. Young people age 15-24 years acquire half of all new STDs, and that 1 in 4 sexually active adolescent females have an STD. The infections associated with this epidemic are all preventable. If left undetected and untreated, STDS can increase your risk of acquiring another STD and cause serious medical complications including: painful sores, heart disease, cancer, birth defects, & more. With early detection, all STDs are treatable and most STIs are curable.

The Facts About STDs/STIs Continued You can get an STD from vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Many STDs are Asymptomatic, which means “showing no signs of a disease or disorder even though an infection or disease is present.” Teenagers are at a higher risk of getting STDs because their bodies may not fight infections as well as the bodies of healthy adults can. Females have a higher risk of catching STDs that males do. (Females have a larger area of mucous membranes that can be exposed to infectious particles during sexual intercourse; females receive a larger volume of potentially infected body fluid; & teenage females are especially at risk because the cells on the cervix of teenagers are more susceptible to infection than the cells of the adult cervix)

What Causes STDs STDs include just about every kind of infection. Bacterial STDs include: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).Viral STDs include: HIV, genital herpes, HPV, and Hepatitis (B & C). STDs caused by a parasite include public lice, scabies, and trichomoniasis. The germs that cause STDs hide inside semen, blood, vaginal secretions, and sometimes saliva. Most of the organisms are spread by vaginal, anal, or oral sex, but some, such as those that cause genital herpes and genital warts, may be spread through skin contact. You can get hepatitis B by sharing personal items, such as a toothbrush or razors, with someone who has it.

You Are At Risk If: You have more than one sex partner You have sex with someone who has had many partners Having vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom Having an anonymous sex partner Having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can lower inhibitions and result in greater sexual risk taking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvmb9eUu0p4 STDs and Teens

Preventing STDs Practice Abstinence. Not having sex is the only sure way to prevent STDs Stay away from Alcohol & Drugs Respect Yourself Go out in groups Always use a condom during the entire act of sex (Condoms are not 100% effective at preventing disease or pregnancy) Avoid sharing towels or underclothing Wash before and after intercourse

https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/lowdown/the_lowdown_infographic_poster_30x20.pdf

Know The Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/std/products/infographics/images/Youth-STI-Infographic_620.jpg