Sexually Transmitted Diseases

8 Pages 1909 Words

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), formerly known as venereal diseases, infectious diseases passed from one person to another during sexual contact. STDs are among the most common infections known. More than 12 million people in the United States, including 3 million teenagers, are infected with STDs every year. The United States has the highest STD rate in the industrialized world about one in ten Americans will contract an STD during his or her lifetime. People who do not know they are infected risk infecting their sexual partners and, in some cases, their unborn children. If left untreated, these diseases may cause debilitating pain or may destroy a woman's ability to have children. Some STDs can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, but many, such as (AIDS), cannot be cured. People with these diseases remain infected for their entire lives. Those most at risk for contracting STDs are people who have unprotected sex—that is, sex without using some form of contraceptive, those who have multiple partners, and those whose sex partners include drug users who share needles. Studies show that Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are at bigger risk of catching STDs than older adults are, because younger people are more likely to have multiple sexual partners rather than a single, long-term relationship. Young people may also be more likely to have unprotected sex and may be embarrassed to tell their sexual partners they are infected. Young people may also be embarrassed or unable to seek medical attention for STDs. This means that they are not only more likely to pass the disease to other young people, they also have a greater risk of suffering the long-term consequences of untreated STDs. STDs are transmitted by infectious agents—microscopic bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and single-celled organisms called protozoa—that thrive in warm, moist environments in the body, such as the genital area, mouth, and throat. Most...