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- 50% of current teenagers will have at least one sexually transmitted infection by age 25.
- There are over 25 different sexually transmitted infections - some cause pain, some can affect fertility (ability to have children in the future), one can cause cancer, and several can be fatal.
- Sexually transmitted infections pass from one person to another by contact with body fluids (tears, saliva, blood, semen, vaginal and penile fluids) and by skin contact. Therefore, vaginal intercourse is NOT the only route for transfer of these infections. ANY activity that involves contact with skin or body fluids has some degree of risk associated with it.
- Condoms will provide some protection against infections that are passed in body fluids. Condoms provide limited or no protection against those infections that are passed by skin contact.
- Bacterial infections are becoming more difficult to treat. Some of the bacteria, like gonorrhea, thatcause sexually transmitted infections, are now resistant to some antibiotics.
- Most viral infections cannot be cured.
- Once a person has herpes, that individual can be contagious, even when no sores are present. Herpes in the mouth can be transferred to the genitals, to the anus, or other parts of the body very easily.
- Syphilis is still around - it is not a disease of the past. Syphilis will start with a crusty, sometimes bleeding sore that will eventually heal without treatment. However, an infection with syphilis is still present. Unusual sores need to be examined. Syphilis, as it progresses, will damage many areas of the body, and can eventually be fatal.
- Many sexually transmitted infections do not cause symptoms at first. Permanent, irreversible damage can occur by the time symptoms appear. This is true in both girls and boys. Boys typically have symptoms of an infection sooner than girls.
- For girls: one case of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) will cause infertility in up to 24% of patients.
- 25% of patients infected with HPV continue to have unprotected sex, because they don't know that they are infected. They are still contagious, even without any symptoms.
- HPV is a virus that causes many diseases; it is transmitted sexually. It can cause warts, changes on a woman's Pap smear, cancer of the cervix, cancer of the vagina, cancer of the penis, and cancer of the anus. It also plays a role in the development of cancer of the head and neck. Surgery is the primary treatment for the cancers that are caused by HPV - surgery that is often disfiguring.
- When going for dental check-ups, be sure that your dentist checks your mouth for suspicious lesions. He or she should be doing this anyway, but some don't start until their patients are over 21. If you are sexually active or smoke, you should be sure that your dentist checks your mouth at every visit.
- For those that are sexually active, check-ups and cultures should be performed at least once a year, and after each partner change.
- When in doubt, seek competent help. If using the Internet, go to known sites, like Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Kids Health, and the National Institutes of Health. Other sites may be interesting, but may have incorrect information. Incorrect information is, at best, useless, and at worst, dangerous.
- When visiting a doctor, be honest about your sexual history. A doctor cannot order the correct tests if you don't provide an accurate history. A doctor can keep your history confidential (even from your parents). Your parents can see an itemized bill, but they cannot see the parts of your health record that relate to sexual activity, without your specific permission.
- Be open and honest with your parents. If "the worst" happens (whatever that is - serious illness, an accident, etc.) remember, it is your parents that will be at your side, helping you get better.
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