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Not comfortable risking your sexual health on rumors flying around school or wisdom from your friend’s older sister? Check out this Top 10 list to brush up on the facts and take control of your sexual health.
Top 10 Things You Need to Know to Protect Your Sexual Health:
1. STDS DON'T DISCRIMINATE
STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are not exclusive - they're open to anyone and everyone. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, one in every four sexually active young people becomes infected by an STD each year.
If you're having sex you are at risk for contracting an STD, no matter your age, race, gender or sexual orientation. STDs don't discriminate.
2. ANY KIND OF SEX HAS RISK
So if you're having oral sex, you're not really doing the deed, and so you're not at risk for an STD, right? Not at all. A lot of young people are under the impression that vaginal intercourse is the only sex you need to worry about - but that's just not true. You can catch STDs - including HIV - from oral or anal sex too. To reduce your risk, it's important to protect yourself every time you and your partner decide to have any kind of sex.
Wondering if your behavior is putting you at risk? Learn more by calling these hotlines.
3. GETTING PREGNANT CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME
There are so many myths out there about when a girl cannot get pregnant. But here's the truth: you can get pregnant - or get someone else pregnant - any time you have vaginal intercourse. This includes the first time you have sex and - this is a big one - when a girl has her period. Nearly a million young women get pregnant every year and 80% of those pregnancies are unintended.
Not ready to be a parent? If you are sexually active, the best way to reduce your risk is to protect yourself - every time you have sex.
4. HIV HITS YOUNG PEOPLE HARD
Every hour, two people in this country contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS . HIV is spread through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk, which means that it can be passed through unprotected sex of any kind. Right now, young people are at the center of the epidemic - half of all new infections in the U.S. occur in people under 25 years old. It's important to remember that while science and medicine have advanced and there is treatment, there is still no cure for HIV and AIDS.
Learn more about pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other STDs.
5. KNOW YOUR BODY
You are the one person who knows your body best - or at least you should be. It's very important to be aware of your body and to pay attention to any changes. If you realize that your body looks or feels different - like it hurts to urinate or you notice a vaginal discharge - get yourself checked out by a health care provider.
It is also important to know what your body needs to stay healthy, like regular visits to your provider, before you sense something may be wrong. When you go, don't assume your provider is going to bring up your sexual health. Consider talking about your sexual activity, and ask about whether you should be tested for STDs.
6. YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT
If you close your eyes, it's not happening, right? Wrong. Many STDs don't show any symptoms, or show symptoms that aren't unique to STDs. You can't necessarily tell whether you - or your partner - might be infected. According to the American Social Health Association, many people in the U.S. who are infected with an STD don't know it. So how can you really know? Get tested, and pick up your results.
7. GET TESTED
There's no getting around it - if you are sexually active, you should talk with a health care provider about being tested for STDs. Be sure to ask about which tests you may need - there is no one universal STD test. Many of these tests can be painless, and you should know that if your results are positive, many STDs can be cured, and others are treatable.
Find an HIV Testing Facility.
8. EDUCATE YOURSELF
So you don't want to be the next Sexpert? You should still educate yourself on the basic facts about sexual health, STDs, protection and prevention. All of this information is a click - or a clinic - away. If you're looking for information online, go to a credible site such as www.teenwire.com, www.goaskalice.columbia.edu, www.kff.org and www.siecus.org, and check out MTV's own It's Your (Sex) Life Guide.
You can also visit your health care provider for information and to ask questions about the sexual health issues you're concerned about. Get smart about sex and keep yourself safe.
9. COMMUNICATE
Communicating with your partner is one of the best ways to make your relationship stronger and stay safe. That means talking about everything, like what you feel comfortable doing, past partners, STD testing and what type of protection you and your partner have used. Many of you talk to your friends about sex all the time. Don't leave your partner in the dark.
10. PROTECT YOURSELF
Abstinence is the only foolproof way to protect against STDs and pregnancy. However, if you are sexually active, it's critical that you use protection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV and many other STDs. And before you buy those condoms, don't forget to educate yourself about how to use them and communicate with your partner about why it is important to you. It's a win-win situation - your partner may think you're sexy and smart.
Notes: #1
Alan Guttmacher Institute,1994, Sex and America's Teenagers AGI, 1994, pp. 38.
Notes: #2
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing the Sexual Transmission of HIV,
the Virus that Causes AIDS. December -2000.
ftp://ftp.cdcnpin.org/Updates/oralsex.pdf
Notes: #3
U.S. Centers for Disease Control,
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_04.pdf
Notes: #4
American Foundation for AIDS Research
http://www.amfar.org/cgibin/iowa/programs/prevention/
record.html?record=43
United Nations Population Fund
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2003/pdf/english/swp2003_eng.pdf
Notes: #5
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Most Teens Not Provided STD or Pregnancy
Prevention Counseling During Check-Ups, December 2000.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/Press_Releases/Teens2000.htm
Notes: #7
American Social Health Association, STD Statistics,
http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/statistics.html
Notes: #10
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fact Sheet for Public Health Personnel: Male Latex Condoms
and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, January 2003.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/latex.htm
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