Teenagers and STDs

April 16, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Ten percent of Americans are teenagers and less than half of them have had sexual intercourse. But the teens and young adults who have had sex get 50 percent of newly diagnosed STDs each year.

Your son or daughter needs to know about STDs. You don’t need to be an expert on STDs. But this part of the web site tells you about the most common STDs. It will help you answer your son or daughter’s questions. This Web site has some basic information. If you have more questions or concerns, please contact your health care provider. To learn more, visit Common STDs.

STDs are spread three ways:

* Sex: This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Some STDs can also be spread when skin touches skin during sex, or touching of sexual organs.

* Blood contact: Some STDs can be spread through infected blood. Used needles can have infected blood on them and can spread some STDs.

* Pregnancy: A pregnant female can give some STDs to her unborn baby. A mother can give some STDs to her baby when breastfeeding.

How to talk to your Teenagers about STD

Talk with your child early and often. Listen to him or her. Talking and listening are very important but not enough. Be available. It is also important to spend time together and to do things together. Children need to know they can come to you when THEY have a question or want to talk.

Elementary School Age

You can talk about love and relationships with a child as young as six. You don’t tell a six-year-old the details about sex. But you can tell him or her about affection, love, and treating other people with respect. And you can tell your child why he or she should always expect to be treated with respect. When your child is old enough to ask questions, he or she is old enough to receive simple and correct answers.

Middle School Age
When your child is in middle school you can be very clear with him or her. Tell your pre-teen or teen why it is important to make good decisions about sex. Talk to him or her about setting goals for the future. Talk about feelings, relationships, and waiting to have sex. Talk about why waiting until marriage is a healthy choice and why waiting to have sex fits with your values.

High School Age
When your teen gets into high school, keep talking. This can be a time that many parents find particularly challenging to keep the lines of communication open. But keep talking! High school is a critical period during which your child faces many outside pressures and really needs your love, support, and guidance.

During these years, you can get more grown up in what you talk about. Tell them what you think. Ask them what they think. Talk about dating, relationships, values, and self-control. Continue to talk about their goals. Talk about the risks of having sex too young. Make sure your child knows he or she can come to you and talk about anything. To learn more, visit The W.I.S.E. Way to Raise Kids.

(By the way, remember that some of the words pre-teens and teens use mean different things to them. And the meanings change. So ask for translation!)

Don’t just talk about sex. Talk about smoking, and drugs and alcohol. Kids who smoke are more likely to use drugs and alcohol. And kids who drink and use drugs are more likely to have sex. Be sure to also talk about the positive happenings in their lives. What things do they enjoy?

The connection between drugs, alcohol, and sex is clear:

*  One survey showed that almost 1 out of 4 teens that had sex say they used drugs or drank alcohol the last time they had sex.

*  Teens who drink are seven times more likely to have had sexual intercourse than teens who don’t drink.

*  Teens who use drugs are five times more likely to have had sexual intercourse.

You can learn lots more about these risky behaviors at another part of this Web site called Sex and Risky Youth Behaviors.

Diseases transmitted by genital secretions

March 18, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Other Diseases transmitted by genital secretions, including Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Trichomoniasis

Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, reduce the risk of transmission of STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.

STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are sexually transmitted by genital secretions, such as urethral or vaginal secretions.

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens.

Theoretical basis for protection. The physical properties of latex condoms protect against diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis by providing a barrier to the genital secretions that transmit STD-causing organisms.

Epidemiologic studies that compare infection rates among condom users and nonusers provide evidence that latex condoms can protect against the transmission of STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infections

Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infections can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. Consistent and correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of genital herpes, syphilis, and chancroid only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. Condom use may reduce the risk for HPV infection and HPV-associated diseases (e.g., Genital Warts and cervical cancer).

Genital ulcer diseases include genital herpes, syphilis, and chancroid. These diseases are transmitted primarily through “skin-to-skin” contact from sores/ulcers or infected skin that looks normal. HPV infections are transmitted through contact with infected genital skin or mucosal surfaces/secretions. Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infection can occur in male or female genital areas that are covered (protected by the condom) as well as those areas that are not.

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens.

Theoretical basis for protection. Protection against genital ulcer diseases and HPV depends on the site of the sore/ulcer or infection. Latex condoms can only protect against transmission when the ulcers or infections are in genital areas that are covered or protected by the condom. Thus, consistent and correct use of latex condoms would be expected to protect against transmission of genital ulcer diseases and HPV in some, but not all, instances.

Epidemiologic studies that compare infection rates among condom users and nonusers provide evidence that latex condoms provide limited protection against syphilis and herpes simplex virus-2 transmission. No conclusive studies have specifically addressed the transmission of chancroid and condom use, although several studies have documented a reduced risk of genital ulcers associated with increased condom use in settings where chancroid is a leading cause of genital ulcers.

Condom use may reduce the risk for HPV-associated diseases (e.g., Genital Warts and cervical cancer) and may mitigate the other adverse consequences of infection with HPV; condom use has been associated with higher rates of regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and clearance of HPV infection in women, and with regression of HPV-associated penile lesions in men. A limited number of prospective studies have demonstrated a protective effect of condoms on the acquisition of genital HPV.

While condom use has been associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer, the use of condoms should not be a substitute for routine screening with Pap smears to detect and prevent cervical cancer, nor should it be a substitute for HPV vaccination among those eligible for the vaccine.

Budget Bill Provision Could Reduce Birth Control Costs For College Women

March 17, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

A provision in the fiscal year 2009 federal budget bill (H.R. 1105) signed Wednesday by President Obama remedies an “apparently unintended consequence” of the deficit reduction law that went into effect in January 2007 that doubled or tripled the price of oral contraceptives for the 39% of women in college who use them, the

N.C. Public Radio Profiles Efforts To Reduce Unsafe Abortion, Maternal Mortality In Zambia

March 17, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC this week examined maternal mortality in Zambia and profiled the work of the Chapel Hill, N.C.-based not-for-profit Ipas, which works to help women around the world safely access reproductive health services.

Orange County, Calif., Supervisors Vote To Suspend Planned Parenthood Education Grant

March 16, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

The Orange County, Calif., Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to suspend a contract with Planned Parenthood that provides funding for health education for thousands of teens and pre-teens, the Los Angeles Times reports. The $291,788 education grant was approved last year as part of a $7.

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