STD Information

Pregnancy is not the only thing to be concerned about before/after having sex.

Did you know? In the United States, 105 teenage girls under the age of 18 are getting pregnant every hour.i  However, 457 teens under the age of 18 contract a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) every hour. ii Nationwide, STD's are increasing and are becoming a silent epidemic in the United States.iii

There are about 50 strains of STD's/infections and 25 of these are common. iv  Seven of that group are commonly spread in our area. Some can be cured. Some cannot. Some have damaging, lasting, and even lifelong effects.

Do not wait for symptoms before getting tested! Most sexually transmitted diseases/infections have no symptoms and consequently they go undiagnosed and untreated. For example, 70 to 90% of sexually active females who are infected with Chlamydia do not experience symptoms and most aren't being treated for that reason. This results in STD's/infections being unknowingly spread to others.

Do you need to get tested? FIND OUT HERE! vi  
Take the STD Quiz.

Females who contract an STD can suffer from:
• Pelvic inflammatory disease, a condition that can cause long-term complications such as:
• Chronic Pelvic Pain
• Ectopic Pregnancy= (Fertilized egg outside the uterus, which can't be carried to term and can be life threatening to the patient)
• Infertility= (Inability to conceive)
• Increased risk of contracting HIV (the precursor to AIDS which results in death)
• Cervical Cancer
• Mouth and Throat Cancer

Males who contract an STD can suffer from:
• A painful infection of the testicles (Epididymitis)
• Burning during urination (Urethritis)
• Inability to produce sperm (Sterility)
• Genital Pain
• Fevers
• Increased risk of contracting HIV (the precursor to AIDS which results in death)
• Testicular Cancer
• Penile Cancer
• Mouth and Throat Cancer vii  

Whether you have symptoms or not, if you are sexually active, the only way to be safe is to get tested. To schedule your FREE, confidential STD appointment, call 1-800-633-3339 today! All testing is free, so no insurance coverage is necessary. You will receive appropriate treatment if you test positive for any STD(s) that are curable.

Sources:

i Cook, Bruce. Choosing the Best. “Sex, STDs and Honesty.”  Atlanta, Georgia, 2008.

ii   Cook, Bruce. Choosing the Best. “Sex, STDs and Honesty.”  Atlanta, Georgia, 2008.

iii  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Tracking the Hidden Epidemics: Trends in STD Epidemics in the United States.  Retrieved August 2010 from  http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats98/STD_Trends.pdf

iv  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Tracking the Hidden Epidemics, 2000: Magnitude of Epidemics Overall. Retrieved August 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/std/Trends2000/magnitude.htm

v  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Survelliance, 2008. Retrieved August 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov./std/stats08/trends.htm

vi  The Medical Institute for Sexual Health. Retrieved August 2010 from http://www.stdwizard.org/

vii  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Survelliance, 2008. Retrieved August 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov./std/stats08/trends.htm