"In the United States, more than 65 million people are currently living with an incurable STD. An additional 15 million people become infected each year." -Center for Disease Control
"When you have sex with someone, you are having sex with everyone they had sex with for the last ten years and everyone they and their partners have had sex with for the last ten years." -C. Everett Koop, M.D., Former U.S. Surgeon General
Of course, the only way to NOT be at risk at all would be not to have sex. To "abstain" from sex until marriage. If you have been or are currently sexually active, the following Sexual Exposure Chart will help you in determining your true risk for getting a sexually transmitted disease.
Exposure Chart
Sexual Exposure Chart
(click to enlarge)
2. Find that number on the LEFT side of the chart.
3. Look all the way across the page to find the number of people you have been exposed to.
These numbers are assuming that your partners have had only the same number of sexual partners as you. If your partners have had more sexual partners, YOUR RISK IS GREATER than the number shown. This is also assuming that your partners are totally honest with you. GET SMART!
- 1 in 5 Americans has been infected with an STD (American Social Health Association).
- The fastest growing population contracting AIDS is women. In 1985, 7% of AIDS cases reported were women. That percentage increased to 14% in 1992, and to 23% in 1999 (AIDS.ORG).
- Sexually active adolescent girls have the highest risk of cervical infections because the ectropion, or delicate tissue that surrounds a young woman's cervix, is not fully formed until she is 18 years old. It is, therefore, very vulnerable to blood borne infections (Alan Gutmacher Institute, 1994).
- Approximately 2/3 of all people who acquire STDs are under 25 (American Social Health Association).
- PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is the most rapidly increasing cause of infertility in the United States. Researchers have estimated that a sexually active 15-year-old has a 1 in 8 chance of developing PID. By the age of 24, the probability decreases to 1 in 80 (The Medical Institute).
- There are presently more than 25 significant STDs (Center for Disease Control).
- In the United States, more than 65 million people are currently living with an incurable STD. An additional 15 million people become infected each year (ibid).
- In 1999, reports indicated that strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) were present in 99% of samples tested for cervical cancer. It is estimated that 75% of sexually active Americans are or have previously been infected with HPV (The Medical Institute).
- While almost all STDs can be treated to relieve pain or minimize symptoms, there is no cure for viral STDs, including Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Herpes (ibid).
There are over 30 common STDs. To see a chart of the most common including symptoms, damage and current number of people infected, just click on the link.
Common STD Chart
Abstaining from sex is the only way to be 100 percent confident of avoiding STD infection.
Prevention through avoiding exposure is the best strategy for controlling the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Proper use of condoms with each act of sexual intercourse can reduce, but not eliminate, risk of STDs.
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
Do condoms really work to prevent pregnancy, AIDS or STDs?
Consider the facts:
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Several studies show latex condoms failed to prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in 17-23% of couples in which one partner was already known to be HIV infected.
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It has been estimated that there are as many as 100 million HIV particles in one drop (1 ml.) of HIV infected semen.
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Latex condoms break or slip off 15.1% of the time.
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Latex condoms have a teenage failure rate of 20%. That means that one in five teen couples using latex condoms as birth control will be pregnant in one year. One third will have a pregnancy within two years!
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Latex condoms have similar failure rates for protecting you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STDs can be painful, embarassing, cause sterility in women, and can even lead to death. Many are incurable. 2.5 million American teens contract a STD each year. That's 7,000 every day!
When latex condoms fail it can cause a life to begin (pregnancy) or cause death (AIDS). When you think about it, "safe sex" isn't very safe, for you or your partner. The only "safe sex" is mutual fidelity between two HIV and STD free people who are committed to each other for life.
History of STDs
| Pre 1960's: |
Syphilis and Gonorrhea were the only major STDs |
| 1976: |
Chlamydia first recognized |
|
| 1981: |
AIDS identified |
| 1982: |
Herpes became very prevalent |
| 1992: |
PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease recognized |
| 1996: |
HPV or Human Papilloma Virus recognized as the cause of 90% of all cervical cancer, and is the reason for yearly PAP smears. |
| 1980-present: |
8 NEW diseases identified including HIV |
* It is important to note that this is not just a case of medical science diagnosing what has existed all along. These are NEW diseases, caused by sexual activity with multiple partners. Viruses continue to mutate and multiply, all the while becoming more resistant to treatment.
