1. How Many Teens Get STD’s?

Good Question! Too many, and this is why we work so hard to help teens understand that they are at very high risk for catching an STD if they become sexually active before marriage. Approximately 15.3 million (with an M) people catch an STD each year! Because teens’ bodies are not fully mature, they are especially vulnerable to catching STD’s. Because of this and other factors like multiple sexual partners, 2/3 of these STD’s (over 10 Million) infect young people between the ages of 12 and 25 each year! Here’s a way to look at it: for every teen you know that is pregnant there are 3 teens who have an STD!

2. Is it true many STD’s can’t be cured?

Yes, that is true. STD’s can be broken down into two major categories: Viral & Bacterial. Viral STD’s can not be cured. There are no drugs that can remove a virus from your body. The drugs that are available only help a person with the symptoms of the disease and may prolong life, but they are by no means a cure. Also, you can still spread a Viral STD to anyone that you have sexual contact with even after being treated with drugs. Most Bacterial STD’s can be cured with antibiotics, however many of the bacterial STD’s have no symptoms and often irreversible damage is done before an individual even knows that there is a problem! This is why infertility is a growing problem for many people who finally “settle down” and want to have kids.

3. How will an STD affect my future?

Here’s the hardest part: how would you like to face telling the person of your dreams that you have an STD and realizing that it may make the difference in them wanting to continue a relationship with you. Beyond possible rejection you will have to deal with the physical consequences. Depending on the disease, this could mean: outbreaks throughout your lifetime, cancer of your sexual/reproductive organs, warts, or the most devastating affect for many – infertility. With the physical problems also come expensive medical bills; this has added a huge burden to the Health Care systems of our country. As with any company, these added costs eventually get placed back on the consumer.

4. What does an STD look like?

What does an STD look like? There are more than 25 major STDs. Within these 25 types of STDs there are many different strains of bacteria or viruses so STDs can literally affect people in hundreds of different ways. There is no way to answer this question fully here because it would fill thousands and thousands of pages. Different STDs cause different problems, some of the more common problems would be: An infection that causes puss / inflammation, rashes that cause sores / breaking of the skin, Warts (some so small you can’t see anyway). Many cause internal damage to organs or nerves that doctors can only see through special tests or procedures. Remember that many STDs are “Asymptomatic” meaning that there are no visible symptoms or pain that lets you know that something is wrong. Please do not think that if you “check someone out” (looking at their genital areas) before engaging in sex that you’ll be OK! Again, many people spread STDs to other people because they do not know that they even have anything. Be safe, Be Abstinent! Steve, ATM