Sexually Transmitted Infections The Silent Epidemic Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted Infections Any disease/infection that spreads from one person to another during sexual intercourse

Myths and Facts Myth- teens seldom get STIs Fact- Hundreds of thousands of teens get STIs each year! Myth- A person can’t get an STI by having sex only once Fact- It takes only one sexual encounter with and infected person to get and STI

Myth- Anyone who has an STI will show signs of it. Fact- Many STIs have no symptoms early in the infection. Others have symptoms that come and go. Symptoms of AIDS may not show up for ten years or more Myth- A person can’t get more than one STI at a time Fact- It’s possible to have many

Myth- There are vaccines to prevent STIs Fact- The only STI’s for which there is a vaccine is hepatitis B and genital warts Myth- If a person gets and STI once, he or she can’t get it again Fact- There is no immunity against STIs. People can get STIs again and again with equal severity

Myth- If the symptoms of an STI go away, a person doesn’t need to see a doctor Fact- The disappearance of the symptoms of an STI doesn’t mean that the disease is over. Only a doctor can tell whether or not a person is still infected Myth- STIs can enter the body only through the genitals Fact- The pathogens that cause STIs can enter the body through openings of the body or cuts or sores in the skin

Concerns about STIs STIs is an epidemic An unusually high occurrence of a disease in a certain place during a certain time period STIs is very serious for several reasons When ignored, STIs can be very damaging Untreated, infertility may likely occur Infertility- The reduced ability to have children

Some STIs can cause cancer Immunity is not possible to STIs Some STIs can be cured, but then re-infected Some STIs have no cures and can be fatal Expensive to have Health care costs are over a billion dollars a year

Why are STIs an epidemic? Many young people are having sex at a young age and with many partners The more people you have sex with, the more likely you are to get an STI Many sexually active people don’t take precautions against infection They don’t think they’ll contract an STI People don’t get medical help if they have an STI, or don’t even know they have one.

One 18 year old boy… Had sex with 10 women and effected 208 people. Some states have laws that state one can’t have sex with someone without telling them you’re infected. 100 million HIV virus particles would fit on your pinky

The good news about STIs! They are preventable! If you are Knowledgeable! STIs are transmitted mainly through sexual intercourse, body fluids, and blood of an infected person

Abstinence 100% guarantee that you will not get an STI Don’t have sexual intercourse until you are ready to commit yourself to a long-term, caring relationship, such as marriage

Sexual Fidelity “Practiced when both partners in a caring, committed relationship, such as marriage, agree to have sexual intercourse only with one another” (Pruitt, Crumpler, 550) The only way to be sure that both partners are not infected is to have a medical checkup

Precautions If you are sexually active, there are some devices available to help PREVENT STI’s from spreading. These are NOT 100% safe. If you are sexually active, you need to find out about these devises and how to use them to protect yourself from an STI that could last a lifetime

Avoid drug use Some STIs can be transmitted by blood to blood contact Don’t use drugs, and don’t use drugs that are injected There is a direct link of dirty needle use and STI and Aids Don’t use alcohol because it affects your inhibitions

Healthy Choices If you think you may be infected, stop being sexually active If you are a high risk taker, get checked every six months Tests are confidential Information about clinics = 1-800-555-1212 If you are infected, tell the people you’ve been active with to get checked

Kinds of STIs Bacterial (Can treat) Gonorrhea Clamydia Syphilis Viral (Can’t treat) Herpes HPV (warts) Hepatitis HIV/AIDs

Activity Group activity For this activity, your group should get: Definition, other names used, symptoms, treatment, consequences if NOT treated, and a fact or statistic on the rate of this infection or something else that surprised you.