- Did You Know?
- About 1 million teenage girls become pregnant each year. That’s 1 in 10 and one girl every 31 seconds! Providing for a child when you’re still in school is difficult. That’s why teenage mothers often drop out of school, collect welfare, live in poverty and never reach their dreams. Many guys don’t stick around when their girlfriends get pregnant because they don’t want to face this incredible responsibility. Becoming a parent is easy; being a parent is tough! Babies need a lot more than love. Since you and your children deserve the best possible future, wait to have sex. Self control beats birth control.
What is a condom?
A guy’s condom is a thin, flexible covering that goes over the penis during sex. Most condoms are made of natural latex (from rubber trees).Do they work?
Well, let’s look at the facts. Obviously they don’t work at all unless they’re used in the first place. And they don’t protect very well if they are used "inconsistently" or "incorrectly." In other words: you have to use them every single time — with no exceptions — and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended seven steps to correct usage.What if I use them most of the time?
You’re at risk. In fact, the CDC says, "Used inconsistently (less than 100 percent of the time), condoms offer little more protection than when they are not used at all." Good intentions won’t protect you. About 15 percent of couples who rely on condoms to avoid pregnancy will still get pregnant within the first year of use. And even if you manage to use them consistently and correctly, 2 - 4 percent of condoms leak, break, or slip off. And you’re not just at risk for pregnancy.Do condoms prevent all STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)?
An STD is a virus, bacteria or other small organism that can be acquired through sexual contact with someone who has the disease. Some have cures. Some do not. Some are relatively harmless if treated. Some are deadly. Condoms reduce the risk but do NOT eliminate the risk of acquiring such STDs as HIV and gonorrhea. They’re even less effective at preventing genital herpes, trichomoniasis and chlamydia. Plus, they offer no protection against HPV — one of the most common STDS in America — which causes 90 percent of all cervical cancer. So even if you use them right every time, you’re still at risk for some STDS. (For more STD information - See below)
You might be young. But you’re not stupid. You’ve got the rest of your life in front of you, right? And it’s your future — nobody else’s. So it’s up to you to stand up and protect yourself. You’ve got what it takes. Use it. Speak your mind. And your heart. You CAN do it.
Most people who engage in non-marital sex have their many reasons. But are they good ones? Think about it…
"Everyone’s doing it."
Set the standard. Leaders are followed."I feel loved."
Is it real love? Will you feel loved when it’s over and you’re alone?"It’s hard to say NO."
Yeah, but you can do it. No risk now, no regret later."If I don’t … he or she will leave me."
Maybe, but then that tells you a lot about the type of person they are. Don’t worry if they leave you — worry about what they could leave you with.But it feels good.
Is the moment of pleasure really worth a lifetime of pain?- Did you know?
- Over 60 million Americans are currently infected with an STD and 15 million new cases of sexually transmitted infection occur each year.1 One quarter of these new STD infections occur in people between 15 and 19, and two-thirds occur in those under the age of 25.2
- There are over 25 different kinds … chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), chancroid, hepatitis B, HIV. They can be as destructive, uncomfortable, and gross as they sound! You are vulnerable to STDs at any age and at any time.
HIV and AIDS
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that invades the immune system and destroys it over time. The destruction of the immune system reduces a person’s ability to fight off infections and cancer. The majority of people infected with HIV eventually develop AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), which is often fatal. Exposure to infected blood or other body fluids is required for HIV transmission to occur; the highest HIV concentrations are in blood, semen and vaginal secretions.Chlamydia
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in humans. Two million Americans are currently infected with chlamydia trachomatis, and three million more will acquire the infection this year. The prevalence of chlamydia is highest in young people. Chlamydia is primarily transmitted through sexual activity. It can also be passed from pregnant women to their newborn infants during childbirth. Chlamydia infection in both men and women are typically treated with oral antibiotics. The most serious complication of chlamydial infection is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can damage the fallopian tubes and result in tubal scarring and infertility.Genital Herpes
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes (mouth, genital areas, etc.) of humans. Genital herpes is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the United States, with an estimated 45 million people infected. This is over one in five Americans age 12 or over. More than 45 percent of black Americans age 12 or over have been infected with HSV-2. HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted infection. Similarly, although HSV-1 usually causes oral herpes infections, it can be transmitted to the genitals via oral sex, thereby becoming a sexually transmitted infection. The greatest risk factor for genital herpes infection is the total number of lifetime sexual partners a person has had. There is no cure for genital herpes. An additional consequence of genital herpes is that infected individuals are at increased risk of contracting HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.HPV
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is a virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes (tissues that line the mouth, cervix, vagina, uretha and anus) of humans. Of the 100 strains of HPV, approximately 30 cause genital infections. HPV is not curable, although most HPV infections resolve spontaneously. HPV is primarily associated with cervical cancer, but HPV has also been associated with a number of other cancers, including oral, vaginal, vulvar, penile and anal cancer.Gonorrhea
Neisseria gonorrhea is a bacterium that causes genital infections and other infections in humans. Gonorrhea is primarily spread by sexual contact, including sexual intercourse, oral sex and anal sex. A newborn baby can also become infected during the birth process if his/her mother is infected. Uncomplicated gonorrhea is treated with oral or injectable antibiotics. After treatment, infected individuals should be reexamined and retested to ensure that they have been cured. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common complication of gonorrhea in women, occurring in 10-20 percent of infected females. Amoung US women who seek medical assistance to become pregnant, one in four are infertile because of scarring caused by PID.Syphilis
Preponema pallidum is a centuries-old, highly infectious bacterium that causes syphilis. Syphilis transmission usually occurs during vaginal, and or oral sex when syphilitic sores or patches come into contact with slightly abraded skin or mucous membranes. Women who catch syphilis within a few years before they get pregnant and who fail to get treated often (70 percent) pass syphilis on to their infants. Forty percent of women who acquire syphilis during pregnancy and who go without treatment will lose the child. Left untreated, secondary syphilis may develop into the tertiary stage resulting in damage to internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. The damage can be serious enough to cause death. While antibiotics are extremely effective at killing the syphilis bacterium, they will not repair or reverse the damage already caused by the disease.It’s your life. It’s your future. It’s your choice.
The Medical Institute for Sexual Health graciously provided the information on this page. For more information visit www.medinstitute.org.
- American Social Health Association. Sexually Transmitted Diseases in America: How Many Cases and at What Cost? Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation; 1998.
- Eng TR, Butler WT, eds. The Hidden Epidemic - Confronting Sexually Transmitted Disease. Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1997.
