Carnal knowledge: The sex ed debate

Soaring rates of sexually transmitted diseases among teens are adding urgency to the debate over sex education. Conservatives claim the alarming statistics illustrate why abstinence should be the single mantra when it comes to sex ed. Liberals counter that the increase in disease is the strongest case for more detailed information. Caught in the middle are America’s kids, who are more vulnerable than ever to potentially deadly diseases.

10 things to ask before having sex

1. Are you HIV positive?
2. Have you ever tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease? If so, were you treated?
3. How many sex partners have you had since your last STD and HIV tests?
4. Have you had any STDs in the past six months?
5. If you have been diagnosed with herpes or genital warts, are you having outbreaks? Are you being treated?
6. Have you been at risk for HIV in the past six months?
7. Do you have any objection to using a condom?
8. Are you allergic to latex?
9. Are you on any form of birth control?
10. Which sexual activities do you want to engage in?

Sex Infections Found in Quarter of Teenage Girls

The first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases among girls and young women has found that one in four are infected with at least one of the diseases, federal health officials reported Tuesday.
Nearly half the African-Americans in the study of teenagers ages 14 to 19 were infected with at least one of the diseases monitored in the study — human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, a common parasite.
The 50 percent figure compared with 20 percent of white teenagers, health officials and researchers said at a news conference at a scientific meeting in Chicago.

CDC: Blacks, gays at high risk for HIV infections

Young black gay men, black women and white gay men in their 30s and 40s are much more likely to be newly infected with HIV than other groups in the United States, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The analysis -- based on figures showing that the HIV infection rate for 2006 is much worse than previously thought -- looks at the number of new HIV infections and who gets them. The study appears in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
It shows 53 percent of the estimated 56,000 cases of new HIV infection in 2006 were among gay and bisexual men, and 46 percent of the infections occurred among blacks. Within the gay and bisexual group, young black men (13 to 29 years old ) were roughly twice as likely to get infected as young white and young Hispanic men. And among women, black women were almost 15 times more likely to get HIV than white women and almost four times more likely than Hispanic women.

Got unhappy STD news? Break it with an e-card

Breaking up over e-mail is a social no-no.
But sending an e-card telling someone to get tested for STDs may be a public health courtesy.
Since 2004, a free Web site, inSpot.org has allowed users to anonymously notify their partners to get tested for STDs such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.
It may not be the most personal way of delivering the news, but researchers say it beats not saying anything at all.
"When you weigh the importance of getting people notified, that's ultimately what needs to be done," said Jeffrey D. Klausner, director of STD Prevention and Control Services in San Francisco, California's Department of Public Health. "By notifying them -- even if it's done anonymously, even distantly, even with an e-card -- the benefits of getting someone diagnosed and treated outweigh the concerns of insensitivity."

When STDs lead to infertility

Doctors don't have to tell 18-year-old "Rose" (who doesn't want to reveal her real name) the importance of using a condom every time she has sex.
"There really is a limit to how much you can trust somebody," the young woman said.
At 14, Rose contracted two sexually transmitted diseases: gonorrhea and chlamydia. She said she got the STDs from her first boyfriend.
"We used condoms at first. Then, me being naïve, we stopped," Rose recalled. "I thought he was only having sex with me."
The STDs went untreated and eventually developed into pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, a condition that can lead to infertility.
Dr. John Douglas, director of the Centers for Disease Control's Division of STD Prevention, called infertility a "down-the-road concern" for many teens.

No Drop in Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Educational campaigns have failed to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases(STDs). Some 14,000 cases of chlamydia are reported annually. This is in addition to between 100 to 200 new cases of gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV every year.
The incidence of syphilis is higher than three years ago. Eija Järviö, Director of the Prevention and Education Sector of the Finnish AIDS Support Centre is concerned about the problem.

With STD's on the rise, the advice is: get tested

The U.S. has the highest rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the industrialized world, with more than 65 million people infected. 19 million new cases of STDs are diagnosed every year. 1 in 4 teens contracts an STD each year.n 1 in 2 sexually active persons will contract an STD by age 25. More than $15.3 billion is spent each year to diagnose and treat STDs, excluding HIV. Nearly 1.2 million people are estimated to have HIV, and 25 percent are unaware of their infection. 50 percent of the population will likely have an STD at some point in their lifetime. STDs and HIV are preventable. To read the complete story see Saturday's Republican-American or our electronic edition at http://republicanamerican.ct.newsmemory.com.

STDs still on the rise, report says

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- In spite of prevention efforts, new cases of some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases are going up, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2007," also said that women and minorities in particular are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs.

That fact isn't surprising, experts say, as studies on STDs in the past have also shown that women and minorities bear the greatest burden of STDs. The age of those affected hasn't changed much either -- nearly 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year, and almost half of those affect 15- to 24-year-olds.

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Chlamydia: A Silent Epidemic

(CBS) A new study has uncovered alarming information about the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States that doctors are calling "the silent epidemic."There are 4 million new cases of chlamydia each year. Researchers reported in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that, out of 300 sexually active girls between ages 12 to 19, more than one fourth tested positive for the disease.

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Scientists Study Parasitic STD

Scientists hope their study of a little-known parasite will lead people to seek treatment for an infection they may not know they have. The sexually transmitted bug — known as trichomoniasis — infects about 170 million people each year, including 8 million in North America alone. Researchers say the parasite is emerging as a major player in the spread of the AIDS virus around the world.

Condom Errors Common, Raise STD Risks

It's not enough to use a condom and assume you're protected from sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
A new study shows that the condom has to be put on and used correctly in order to provide maximum protection.
Researchers found errors in condom usage and breakage were common and were associated with an increased risk of gonorrhea infection in men.
"The importance of proper condom use seems obvious, yet the results from this study demonstrate that it must be taught to even sexually experienced adults and that the lack of correct use can be linked to infection," write researcher Diane Grimley of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues.
"The tendency to assume that consistent condom users are using condoms correctly seriously underestimates their risk of transmitting or contracting STDs or becoming pregnant unintentionally," they write.

Sexually Spread Diseases Up, Better Testing Cited

(AP) Sexually spread diseases _ for years on the decline _ are on the rise, with reported chlamydia cases setting a record, government health officials said Tuesday.The increase in chlamydia, a sometimes symptomless infection that can lead to infertility in women, is likely because of better screening, experts said. In 2007, there were 1.1 million cases, the most ever reported, said officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Thousands of women become infertile each year because of untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr., director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention.

Nationwide STD testing campaign launching in SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A group in South Carolina is taking part in a nationwide effort to have young people tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases.
Planned Parenthood plans a news conference in Charleston Tuesday to help kick off the effort, being mounted nationwide with the help of MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation
The campaign is designed to encourage testing and treatment for STDs in young people under 25.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Carolina ranks third nationally in the rate of gonorrhea, 12th for syphilis and 10th for AIDS.

Fewer than half of U.S. women screened for chlamydia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer than half of vulnerable U.S. women are being screened for chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted disease that often causes few symptoms but can lead to infertility, researchers reported on Thursday.
Screening rates have spiked up from 25 percent in 2000 to nearly 42 percent in 2007, but that is still far too few women being screened, the team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Best STD antidote

As a new flu bug spreads across the globe, governments are acting swiftly to limit its toll. By contrast, Utah is facing an alarming increase in sexually transmitted diseases, and still the state is reluctant to give young adults, the age group most at risk, the preventive measures they need to stay healthy. That's inexcusable.

Students will learn about STD testing at school

Utah schools should teach students about the importance of getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases, according to an updated state health curriculum approved Friday by the State Board of Education.
State board members added the point about the importance of early detection at the urging of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Planned Parenthood and about a dozen high school students who spoke at the board's meeting.

Students will learn about STD testing at school

Utah schools should teach students about the importance of getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases, according to an updated state health curriculum approved Friday by the State Board of Education. State board members added the point about the importance of early detection at the urging of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Planned Parenthood and about a dozen high school students who spoke at the board's meeting. "If they're sexually active, they should get in and get tested and that should be taught and encouraged," said Liz Zentner, health commissioner with the state PTA. Teachers were allowed to talk about testing before, but it wasn't an explicit part of the curriculum, said Frank Wojtech, health and physical education specialist at the State Office of Education.

Do you think health teachers should be allowed to encourage use of contraceptives?