Question: What are
STDs? How do they spread? Are they curable?
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—also referred to as
sexually transmitted infections (STIs)—are
infectious pathogens which have a
high likelihood of transmission through sexual contact between two people.
There are many different types and strains of STDs, but some
of the most widespread or commonly known STDs include:
These diseases can spread through all kinds of sexual
activity—whether you engage in oral sex, anal sex, vaginal intercourse, or even
mutual masturbation. Some of these
pathogens are transmitted through bodily fluids, while others may spread
through skin-to-skin contact in highly sensitive regions (such as the genital
region)[1].
Thankfully, some of these diseases are curable. Bacterial STDs can be removed from an
infected person’s body through antibiotics; however, viral STDs (such as HIV,
HPV, and genital herpes) are currently without cures. Symptoms may be treated and counteracted, but
the virus will remain throughout the lifetime of the infected individual.
Please see the links to the diseases above to
learn more about each one.
Question: How many
people have sexually transmitted diseases?
And how at risk am I?
The estimated total number of people living in the United States
with a viral STD is over 65 million[2]--that’s
65 out of around 300 million people in all!
Every year there are over 19 million new cases of STDs[3],
and by the age of 25, at least half of all sexually active young people will
have acquired an STD[4]. About one in four (25%) of all sexually active young people
acquire an STD each year—that is about nine million people below the age of 25[5].
Question: How can I
know if I have an STD? And how can I
avoid them?
If you have been sexually active, the only way to know
whether or not you have an STD is to be
tested. Unlike typical illnesses,
these diseases don’t always show themselves—there may be no external symptoms
at all, and an infected person may feel healthy even as the infection spreads
inside him! The most alarming example of
this is HIV, as a person infected with the HIV virus may not experience
symptoms of AIDS until even ten years later[6]!
Generally, the county
health department in your area can provide testing services for these
diseases, often with very little cost to you.
Check out your local health department for more information about their
testing locations.
The most successful method for avoiding an STD is through sexual abstinence—that is, by
postponing sexual activity of all kinds until you have committed to one person
whom you know to be healthy and
uninfected[7]. Simply put, abstinence is saving sex for a
faithful, committed marriage. Condoms may help reduce the risk of certain STDs, but none
are able to prevent transmission absolutely[8]. Condom-use is not “safe sex”—it is simply
less-risky sex. Ultimately, both methods
boil down to self-discipline: either
you must be self-disciplined to use a condom perfectly every time you engage in
sexual acts (and even then, be at risk for acquiring a disease), or you must be self-disciplined not to engage in sexual acts until
the security and joy of a faithful marriage (avoiding the risk of disease altogether).
Though not easy, abstinence is the healthiest, wisest choice for your
sexuality.
[4] “Our
Voices, Our Lives, Our Futures: Youth and Sexually Transmitted Diseases,”
UNC-Chapel Hill, 2004, p. 8. This report
cites research conducted by Weinstock, Berman, and Cates based upon 2000 data. To download this report, click here.
[7] Medical
websites including that of the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) state the same: that abstinence is
the best and only sure method for avoiding STDs.
infectious pathogens which have a
high likelihood of transmission through sexual contact between two people.
Question: How can I
know if I have an STD? And how can I
avoid them?
uninfected
