Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
What are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infectious diseases transmitted through sexual contact. Approximately four in 10 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 report that they are sexually active. Approximately one-fourth of new STD infections each year occur among teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four sexually active adolescents will have been infected with a STD by age 21. STDs are among the most common infectious diseases - with the United States having the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized world.
Protecting your adolescent from STDs:
The surest way to prevent contracting an STD is to advise your adolescent to abstain from any type of sexual activity. However, if your adolescent becomes sexually active, you can advise him/her on taking certain precautionary measures for reducing the risk of acquiring an STD, as recommended by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). These measures include the following:
- have a mutually monogamous sexual relationship with an uninfected partner
- use (consistently and correctly) a male condom
- use sterile needles if injecting intravenous (IV) drugs
- decrease susceptibility to HIV infections by preventing and controlling
other STDs
- delay having sexual relationships as long as possible (the younger a
person is when they begin to have sex for the first time, the more susceptible
they become to developing an STD)
- have regular checkups for STDs
- learn the symptoms of STDs and seek medical help as soon as possible
if any symptoms develop
- avoid having sexual intercourse during menstruation
- avoid anal intercourse, or use a male condom
- avoid douching
What should my adolescent do if diagnosed with a STD?
Treatment for STDs should begin as soon as possible. In addition, your adolescent's sexual partner(s) should be notified so they may seek treatment. Urge your teen to abstain from sexual activity during his/her treatment and make sure he/she is tested again at a follow-up checkup.
What are some common types of STDs?
More than 20 STDs have now been identified, and affect as many as 65 million people in this country, say some estimates. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Centers for Disease Control, common types of STDs include:
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Facts about STDs and adolescents:
Consider the following statistics about STDs and adolescents:
- STDs affect males and females of all backgrounds and economic levels.
However, nearly two-thirds of all STDs occur in people younger than age
25.
- STDs are on the rise, possibly due to more sexually active people who
have multiple sex partners during their lives.
- Many STDs initially cause no symptoms. In addition, many STD symptoms
may be confused with those of other diseases not transmitted through sexual
contact - especially in females. Even symptom-less STDs can be contagious.
- Females suffer more frequent and severe symptoms from STDs. Consider
the following:
- Some STDs can spread into the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes
and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to both
infertility and ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.
- STDs in females also may be associated with cervical cancer.
- STDs can be passed from a mother to her baby before or during birth.
Some infections of the newborn may be successfully treated, but others
may cause a baby to be permanently disabled or even die.
- Some STDs can spread into the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes
and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to both
infertility and ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.
- When diagnosed early, many STDs can be successfully treated.
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Contact Information:
Department of Infectious Diseases
Driscoll Children’s Hospital
3533 S. Alameda Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411
For consultation, appointments, and assistance: (800)700-8846.
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