ONE IN FOUR SEXUALLY ACTIVE TEENS GETS AN STD

Before 1960, there were two common sexually transmitted diseases: syphilis and gonorrhea, which were both easily treated with penicillin. Now there are more than 25 sexually transmitted diseases. Each year 15 million Americans get an STD. Approximately 2/3 of all STD infections occur in people under 25.

STDs can cause complications in teens, such as infertility (inability to become pregnant), ectopic pregnancy and/or chronic pelvic pain, problems in carrying a pregnancy, problems in the children born to infected mothers, cancers and even death.

Females have more complications or problems from STDs than males. Infection with one STD increases the risk of having or acquiring another STD, including HIV.

ALARMING NOTE: People can look healthy, but have an STD. A person can have an STD and not EVEN know he/she is infected. On the other hand, a person may know he/she has an STD and not tell their partner. The Archives of Internal Medicine reports that 48% of males and 22% of females did not disclose the fact that they were infected with HIV to their sexual partners.