Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)

A word about Oral Sex and STD’s…

Recent changes in our culture have made it important for you to know the facts regarding oral sex. These changes include on-going HIV/AIDS epidemic. More scientific surveys have studied oral sex and even more surveys are being conducted with strong indications that oral sex is on the rise, especially among middle school and high school aged children. Recent surveys show that over 50% of teenagers’ ages 15-19 report participating in oral sex.i  An attitude is circulating that, since you can’t get pregnant through oral sex, then it must be “safe.” ii

What is Oral Sex?

Oral sex is the contact of one person’s mouth or tongue with the genitals of another person.

Therefore sexual intercourse includes oral, anal and vaginal sex. Oral sex, like other methods of sex, carries with it the risk of serious, untreatable and even life-threatening diseases in both men and women. Oral sex has been found to spread syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV (causes AIDS), HPV, genital herpes, chlamydia and possibly hepatitis C.iii iv v

The United States has an epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). Over 70 million Americans currently have an STI. 19 million new cases occur each year. Over 60% of these are in people under 25.vi

Most people with STI’s have no symptoms. Even without symptoms, they can still pass on the infection.

In women, complications from infection include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), tubal pregnancy, infertility and cervical cancer. In pregnant women, STD’s can lead to miscarriage, stillbirths, preterm delivery and birth defects… Some STD’s, such as HIV, can be life threatening.

Facts about STDs

As a teenager, there are a few things the media isn’t telling you when it comes to your sexuality and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Here are some facts about the truth behind these topics.

• STD’s can be bacteria, virus or other organisms that are transmitted through genital or sexual contact with someone who has the disease/infection.
• STD’s can be passed on in two ways.
  • – Skin to Skin Contact with infected area
  • – Contact with infected body fluids (Blood, Semen, Vaginal Fluid or Breast milk)
• STD’s are one of the most common types of infections in the US today and teens are at greater risk of getting them.
• 1 in 4 sexually active teens has an STD.
• You can get an STD the first time you have sex.
• Many STD’s have no cure while others may be treated through medication.
• Most people infected with an STD don’t know they are.
• You can get an STD from someone who does not know he/she is infected.
• You can’t tell who has an STD by looking at them.
• Many STD’s can be transmitted to a baby during pregnancy or birth.
• Although condoms are known to reduce the risk of acquiring certain STD’s, abstinence is the only 100% effective method towards protecting against STD’s.

Possible Symptoms

• Discharge from the penis or vagina
• Rashes and sores on skin
• Painful urination
• Blisters, sores, and itching on or around the genitals
• Damage to internal organs
• Fever and headaches
• Abdominal pain
• Strong odor
• Permanent damage from STD’s include: chronic pelvic pain, infertility, cervical cancer, major body organ damage.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms it is very important to get tested for a SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE. Make an appointment today to discuss your symptoms and learn about STI testing.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Bacterial: Can be cured, but any damage done is irreversible
Viral: Can be treated, but NOT cured

For more complete information on Sexually Transmitted Diseases please click here.

Over the 28 existing STD’s the most common ones affecting teens are:

Body fluids that can transmit STDs are: Blood, Semen, Vaginal Fluid and Breast Milk

Sexual Exposure

Know the facts about condoms:

Will condoms protect you from all the STDs?

Here are the results from the largest study ever conducted on condoms by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• There is no clinical proof that condoms are effective in reducing the risk of infection from Chlamydia, Genital Herpes, HPV, Syphilis, Trichomoniasas and many other sexually transmitted diseases. Some protection was found for men against gonorrhea infection, but not for women.
• Condoms were found to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission during vaginal sex by 85% when used consistently (every time a person has sex, without exception) and “correctly.”
• Using condoms 100% of the time still leaves a 15% relative risk of HIV infection compared to not using condoms at all. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, a routinely fatal disease.
• Condoms do not provide complete protection from any STD or pregnancy. STD infection can occur in both males and females whether or not a condom is used.

The 2006 STD Treatment Guidelines prepared by the CDC: “Primary prevention of STD begins with changing the sexual behaviors that place persons at risk for infection” and “The most reliable way to avoid transmission of STD’s is to abstain from sex (i.e., oral, vaginal, or anal sex) or to be in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.”

In other words, abstinence while you are single and being sexually faithful while married are the two most effective ways to avoid Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Sexual Exposure Chart

(If every person has only the same number of partners as you)

“When you have sex with someone, you are having sex with everyone they have had sex with for the last ten years, and everyone they and their partners have had sex with for the last ten years.”
– C. Everett Koop, M.D., Former US Surgeon General

It’s Your Choice

• You are the person who decides whether to expose yourself to STD’s. The number of infected people is constantly increasing and most of these people do not even know that they are carriers of a disease.
• An estimated 65,000,000 people in the United States currently have an incurable STD.
• Some of these diseases can be treated with antibiotics, others cannot and will remain with you the rest of your life and are quite deadly. All have consequences that no one wants.
• Over 19,000,000 people are newly infected with STD’s each year in the United States. And over 60% of these people are under the age of 25.
• If you do become infected, you probably will not know it, at least at first. Some STD’s take weeks, months or possibly even years to show symptoms. Being sexually active during this time can infect your sexual partners.
• If you become infected with certain STD’s, it can increase your chance of contracting HIV/AIDS by 2 to 5 times.
• For women who are infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea there is a greater chance of developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID. PID causes about 100,000 women to become infertile each year with permanent damage to reproductive organs.
• The epidemic of STD’s has increased the danger of sexual activity dramatically. However, you also live at a time when more is known about these diseases than ever before.

You can avoid the consequences…

…but it is a choice only you can make

i Mosher, W., et al., Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Number 362, September 15, 2005 p.21-22
ii Remez L, “oral Sex Among Adolescents: Is It Sex or Is It Abstinence?” Family Planning Perspectives 32(6) November/December 2000
iii Edwards, S., Carne, C., Oral Sex and the transmission of viral STI’s, Sexually Transmitted Infections, 1998, 74 (1)6-10
iv www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/disease_info.htm
v www.cdc.gov/std/stats/toc2006.htm
vi Weinstock H, et al. Sexually Transmitted diseases among American youth: incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2004;36 (1):6-10
vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv www.cdc.gov/std/