Today the Centers for Disease Control released a study concluding that approximately one in four women between the ages of 14 and 19 living in America are infected with at least one sexually transmitted
infection
(infection: When harmful microbes, or germs, or harmful levels of microbes/germs, enter the body and multiply, causing illness. The common cold, flu viruses, sexually transmitted infections, chickenpox, impetigo, rabies and diphtheria are some kinds of infections.)
, such as
HPV
(HPV: Human papillomavirus, a very common sexually transmitted infection with more than 40 HPV types.)
(human papillomavirus), genital herpes,
chlamydia
(chlamydia: A very common bacterial infection/STI. It can infect the cervix, urethra, testicles, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries. It can also infect the throat when acquired through oral sex. Chlamydia requires medical treatment.)
, and trichomoniasis. The study also determined that the rate of infection was higher in African-American women than Caucasian women.
If anyone
out
(out: Short for ‘out of the closet’. When someone’s LGBTQ+ identity is known to other people.)
there refuses to believe that reproductive health services and education in America are lacking, particularly when it comes to teenagers, I urge you to look at this study and find a way to argue otherwise.
The importance of regular
STI
(STI: Sexually transmitted infections: illness, infection and/or disease which is often or can be transmitted through sexual or other intimate contact, like HIV, Chlamydia or Herpes. Some people call STIs STDs.)
screenings cannot be stressed enough- and getting tested must be both accessible and affordable. Likewise with Gardasil, the new HPV vaccine. Of course, there's correct and consistent use of condoms, too.
However, it's not enough to make these things accessible and affordable- we have to know about them in the first place. When accurate or trust-worthy sources of information about
sex
(sex: Different things people choose to do to actively express or enact sexuality and sexual feelings; often this involves genitals, but not always. )
and
sexually transmitted infections
(sexually transmitted infections: STIs: illness, infection and/or disease which is often or can be transmitted through sexual or other intimate contact, like HIV, Chlamydia or Herpes. Some people call STIs STDs.)
are drowned out by conflicting and harmful messages about human sexuality, it's difficult to know that there's no shame- or should be no shame- in having sex and getting tested for STIs and using condoms- that, in fact, by using condoms and getting screened on a regular basis is showing that you care about your own health- and the health of your
partner
(partner: In a sexual context, a person with whom someone is having some kind of sex. The term "partner" can be used for all kinds of relationships, not just serious ones. "Partner" can also mean the person someone is with in a romantic or familial partnership.)
.
Despite its depressing conclusion, I have hope that this study will help raise awareness about STIs and the importance of
safer sex
(safer sex: Practices which aim to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, such as use of latex/nonlatex barriers, regular testing for infections and limiting the number of sexual partners.)
and regular screenings, both for teenagers, parents, health professionals, and everyone else, too.