Sexually Transmitted Diseases - what you need to know (part 4)
Oct 20 '00
This epinion is a continuation of a previous one. Please refer to my other articles regarding this topic. Here, I am explaining the information you and your sexually active teenagers need to be aware of. Please be aware that some of these descriptions can be somewhat graphic.
HIV/AIDS
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, weakens the body's immune system. This is probably the most well-known of all STDs, most likely because it is one of the worst. Within the past two decades, more than 400 million people worldwide have become infected with HIV, and approximately 12 million have died. As of mid-1997, there had been more than 612,000 cases of AIDS reported in the United States, with almost 380,000 deaths, including 4,600 children.
In its early stages, HIV has either no symptoms or causes flu-like symptoms. Approximately 80-90% of people develop symptoms within the first few weeks of contracting the virus, yet doctors usually just dismiss it as a regular cold or flu. As the t-cell count drops, more symptoms may develop, though many do not develop symptoms for up to 8-10 years, when the immune system is significantly weakened. When the cell count continues to drop, the person develops AIDS. Once this happens, there is an increased risk of death.
Your doctor can confirm a diagnosis of HIV through a blood test. There is currently no cure for this disease. Several vaccines have been tested, but none have been approved. Don't you think this is reason enough to practice safe sex?
Scabies
Scabies is an infestation of the skin by a tiny, whitish-brown, eight-legged mite that burrows into its host to lay its eggs. This burrowing causes a skin irritation or rash. Its cases number in the millions. Scabies is not always considered an STD, but it can more easily be transmitted through sexual activity because of the closeness. The mite that causes scabies is highly mobile, capable of moving about an inch a minute. For this reason, scabies infestations are usually the result of close body contact, during which the mite migrates from one host to another.
Scabies cannot be contracted from doorknobs, toilet seats, swimming pools or bath tubs, although it is possible to be infected by contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. Sometimes entire families are infected. The itch caused by scabies is usually worse at night. Rash and skin bumps can occur. Some people have described it as looking like they've been poked with a sharp pencil many times. Scabies has no known long-term side effects. It is a localized infection with no known systemic complications. The itching and rash will intensify and spread without treatment, and the scratching can cause a secondary infection. There are a wide variety of prescription medications to treat this.
Syphillis
This is an STD caused by a type of bacteria. In its earliest stage, syphilis produces an open sore that leaks fluid. untreated, syphilis progresses in a series of stages that affect different parts of the body. This disease affects over 130,000 people every year in the US. The bacteria is transmitted by direct contact with the mucous membranes of the genitals, mouth or with the open sores.
Recognizing the disease can be difficult, because at different stages the symptoms of syphilis may resemble those of other diseases. Your doctor will look for the suspicious syphillis sore (an ulcer, also known as a chancre). Unless treated, syphilis is a lifelong illness.
End of 4-part article
It is our responsibility to make sure our children are informed on this subject. Sure, we can simply tell them to use condoms or they will contract an STD or get pregnant, but without fully understanding the risks and how widespread these diseases are, they are likely to just dismiss it, thinking it will never happen to them. Until it does. I think this is a topic that warrants a little bit of a scare tactic. Once a person is fully aware of how easy it is to contract an STD, and what will happen to them once they do, they should be afraid of something like this happening to them, and therefore do what they can to prevent it.
Many schools do not teach our kids as much as they need to know on this subject. This isn't something they are going to learn much about from their friends. This IS something that, I believe, is the parents responsibility to discuss with them. If you want to increase your kids safety, make sure they are aware of this information before they begin having sex.
This epinion has been seperated into parts for easier reading. If you have read through all four parts, thank you, this is the end. If you have not read through it all, please visit my profile page and start from the beginning.
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