The TRUTH About STD’s :The TRUTH About STD’s


Slide 2:In the 1960’s syphilis & gonorrhea were the only STD’s to worry about and they were easily cured 1980 -- 4 million reported infections 1990 -- 12 million reported infections Today, 1 in every 5 Americans between the ages of 15 and 55 is infected with at least one STD, most of which are incurable viruses


Slide 3:Despite the fact that rates of STD’s in the US are 50 to 100 times higher than other industrial nations and cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year, the vast majority of Americans (especially the young) remain unaware of the high risks and terrible consequences of a whole new generation of STD’s that are easier to acquire and just as permanent and deadly as HIV / AIDS


Complications of STD’s :Complications of STD’s Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Sterility Ectopic Pregnancy Blindness Cancer (from HPV) Fetal and Infant Death Birth Defects Mental Retardation Permanent Sores


Slide 5:Once she is sexually active, a young woman is more susceptible to STD’s because the transformation zone of her cervix will not fully convert from columnar to squamous epithelial cells until she reaches her late 20’s.


Slide 6:1 in 4 teenagers will be infected with a STD before they graduate high school Each day 41,000 Americans become infected with a STD 27,500 of these new STD infections are contracted by 15 to 25 year olds each day (that’s 10 million per year)


Slide 7:The most prevalent (wide-spread) incurable viruses (HERPES, HPV, & HEPATITIS) are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact CONDOMS provide NO clinical proof of effectiveness in their prevention


WHY ? :WHY ? In the US the average 20 year old man has had 3 to 5 sexual partners Today’s epidemic of STD’s is the result of an increase in the number of sexual partners


1 - HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) & ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (AIDS) :1 - HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) & ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (AIDS)


Slide 11:WORLDWIDE in the year 2000 5.3 million new HIV cases 36.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS 3 million people died of AIDS 21.8 million total deaths from AIDS


Slide 12:HIV/AIDS in the United States Over 900,000 people estimated to be infected The average time between HIV infections and the first sign of symptoms is about 10 years So between 200,000 and 300,000 Americans are infected but do not yet know it


Slide 13:HIV/AIDS in North Carolina 23,770 total HIV/AIDS infections were reported as of 12-31-02 1,692 new HIV/AIDS infections reported in 2002 in North Carolina 5,606 additional people are estimated to be unaware they are carrying the HIV/AIDS virus in North Carolina


Slide 14:In 2002, the number of reported HIV infections were as follows: In 2001, NC ranked in the top 5 states in HIV infections from rural areas ( WHERE WE LIVE )


2 - CHLAMYDIA :2 - CHLAMYDIA The most common bacterial STD infection in the US today Over 4 million new cases occur in the US each year


Slide 17:Chlamydia is more concentrated among adolescents than any other STD 40% of all reported cases are in 15 to 19 year olds


Slide 20:40% of untreated chronic cases of Chlamydia result in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) 20% of PID cases result in infertility – never being able to bear children Women infected with Chlamydia are 3 to 5 times more likely to contract HIV/AIDS, if exposed


Slide 21:Pregnant women may pass this infection to their babies during delivery, causing premature birth, eye disease, and pneumonia in the baby


Slide 22:Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact 75% of women & 50% of men with Chlamydia show no symptoms Most cases of Chlamydia go undiagnosed and unreported


Slide 23:In 1999, 7 out of 10 states with the highest rates of Chlamydia were in the south (HERE )


Slide 24:A 1999 school-based screening program among 9th – 12th graders in a New Orleans high school found that nearly 12% of girls and 6% of boys were infected with Chlamydia Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics


3 - CHANCROID (“SHAN-kroid”) :3 - CHANCROID (“SHAN-kroid”) Bacterial infection spread by sexual contact Painful open sores appear on genitals within a week after exposure Symptoms in women are often less noticeable


Slide 27:People infected with Chancroid are at a greater risk to become infected with HIV/AIDS, if exposed Outbreaks are especially common in the southeastern US ( “HERE” ) Chancroid can be cured with antibiotics


4 - GONORRHEA :4 - GONORRHEA Bacterial disease spread by sexual contact 400,000 cases are reported each year in the United States Reported cases are believed to represent about half of annual infections


Slide 30:Gonorrhea rates are highest among females between the ages of 15 & 19 Gonorrhea is a major cause of PID & subsequent infertility & ectopic (tubal) pregnancy


Slide 31:The highest rates of Gonorrhea in the US occur in the southeastern states ( “HERE” ) Gonorrhea is suspected to be a major contributor in the spread of HIV/AIDS in the south ( “HERE” ) Gonorrhea can be easily cured, if detected early, before permanent damage has occurred


5 - SYPHILIS :5 - SYPHILIS A sexually transmitted bacterial disease that progresses in stages If untreated, it can cause heart disease, brain disease & blindness Syphilis can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her baby


Slide 38:Syphilis in the US is concentrated in the southern states ( HERE ) Symptoms are typically a small, painless, open sore Syphilis can be cured with antibiotics


6 - TRICHOMONIASIS or “Trick” :6 - TRICHOMONIASIS or “Trick” Caused by a microscopic protozoan parasite Easily spread by sexual contact Can be acquired through the use of an infected washcloth or towel, since the parasite can survive for hours in moist environments


Slide 41:5 million people are estimated to be infected each year Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral STD in the US Symptoms are usually a discharge and/or irritation of genital areas


Slide 42:If left untreated, “trick” usually shows no symptoms and goes undetected in most women Infected people increase their risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS by 2 to 4 times, if exposed


Slide 43:Trichomoniasis can be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth It can cause prematurity and low birth weight in babies It can be cured with a drug called metronidazole


7 - HEPATITIS B (HBV) :7 - HEPATITIS B (HBV) Caused by a virus that is 100 times easier to get than HIV 1.25 million Americans are chronically infected with HBV 100,000 HBV infections occur every year through sexual contact


Slide 46:HBV can lead to cirrhosis & liver cancer in 15% to 25% of persons chronically infected HBV-related liver disease kills about 5,000 Americans each year Hepatitis B cannot be cured ( “FOREVER” )


8 - HEPATITIS C (HCV) :8 - HEPATITIS C (HCV) Sexual transmission is believed to account for 20% of all HCV infections HCV accounts for about 1/3rd of all liver transplants 4 million Americans are believed to be infected with HCV


Slide 49:The US has 4 people infected with HCV for each person with HIV / AIDS HCV causes up to 10,000 deaths in the US every year Most people with HCV do not know they are infected Hepatitis C cannot be cured ( “FOREVER” )


9 - GENITAL HERPES (HSV) :9 - GENITAL HERPES (HSV) Caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) As many as 60 million Americans are believed to be infected with HSV Over 1 million more Americans become infected with HSV each year


Slide 55:More than 1 in 5 Americans and almost half of African Americans ages 12 and older are infected with HSV More common in women –-------1 in 4 women (25%) are infected with HSV


Slide 56:HSV infection grew fastest among white teens ages 12 to 19 years old in the 1990’s (a 500% increase from the 1970’s) This increase occurred during roughly the same time that “safe sex” practices became accepted in America


Slide 57:Less than 1 in 10 (10%) of those testing positive for HSV knew they were infected HSV is believed to be acquired most commonly during the adolescent and college years, as individuals become sexually active and may have multiple partners


Slide 58:HSV can be transmitted through sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, and by kissing HSV can be transmitted by people with or without symptoms Genital Herpes (HSV) cannot be cured (FOREVER)


Slide 59:The “LIE” “You’ve probably heard about ‘safe sex.’ The fact is, there’s no such thing as completely safe sex. If you have a sexually transmitted disease, there’s always a risk of passing it on, no matter how many precautions you take. You can spread genital herpes even if you’re not having an active outbreak. In living with genital herpes, you should make it your goal to reduce the risks. That’s why we say ‘safer’ sex.” From the GlaxoSmithKline brochure, Moving Ahead With You In Control, Helpful Information about Genital Herpes, 2001


10 - HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) or “Genital Warts” :10 - HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) or “Genital Warts” Caused by a group of over 30 viruses that are spread by sexual & skin to skin contact with an HPV infected area


Slide 62:Can cause genital warts, but usually displays no visible symptoms “People have no idea that they are infected” 20 million Americans are infected with HPV now & another 80 million have been infected in the past 5.5 million more Americans will become infected with HPV each year


Slide 63:According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 75% of reproductive-age Americans have been infected with sexually transmitted HPV Up to 46% of women under 25 are believed to be infected with HPV already – NOW! – TODAY!


Slide 64:Most HPV infected people do not know they are carrying this lifelong, incurable virus Babies exposed to HPV during delivery can develop warts in the larynx (voice box)


Slide 65:Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women, after breast cancer Cervical cancer killed 4,600 American women in 2001 HPV is responsible for 99% of the 13,000 annual cases of cervical cancer in the US


Slide 67:The highest levels of HPV infections are among young women A 1998 study of female college students found that 43% became infected with genital HPV during the 3 year period of the study There is no cure for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (“FOREVER”)


Slide 68:“Condoms do not fully prevent transmission of HPV…..In the case of HPV, no barrier method is a safeguard against infection” From – Are you at risk for cervical cancer?, Jan. 2003, http://www.healthywomen.org & http://www.metrokc.gov/health/


How Effective are Condoms? :How Effective are Condoms? Condoms provide NO CLINICAL PROOF (they are unreliable) in the prevention of: Genital Warts (HPV), Genital Herpes (HSV), Syphilis, Chancroid, Trichomoniasis, Chlamydia, & Gonorrhea in women. Condoms provide some risk reduction for Gonorrhea in men. Condoms provide an 85% reduction in the risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/stds/condomreport.pdf


Slide 70:Terms like “use protection” or “unprotected sex” infer condom use is safe but that is misleading and false. The biggest predictor of acquiring an STD is the number of lifetime partners, with or without condom usage. Fewer partners, less risk – one lifetime partner in a faithful relationship, virtually no risk.” ---- http://www.clubvarsity.org/index.shtml


STD’s CAN BE SPREAD BY PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT SYMPTOMS :STD’s CAN BE SPREAD BY PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT SYMPTOMS


MOST PEOPLE WITH STD’s DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE INFECTED :MOST PEOPLE WITH STD’s DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE INFECTED


YOUR FIRST STD INFECTION WILL MAKE YOU 3 TO 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET HIV/AIDS (IF EXPOSED) :YOUR FIRST STD INFECTION WILL MAKE YOU 3 TO 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET HIV/AIDS (IF EXPOSED)


STD’S ARE SEXIST – THEY HURT WOMEN MORE THAN MEN :STD’S ARE SEXIST – THEY HURT WOMEN MORE THAN MEN


THE HIGHEST RATES OF STD’s IN AMERICA ARE HERE :THE HIGHEST RATES OF STD’s IN AMERICA ARE HERE


2/3rds OF ALL STD INFECTIONS OCCUR AMONG THOSE UNDER 25 (YOU) :2/3rds OF ALL STD INFECTIONS OCCUR AMONG THOSE UNDER 25 (YOU)


“SAFE SEX” IS A LIE :“SAFE SEX” IS A LIE


MOST STD INFECTIONS IN THE US ARE FOREVER :MOST STD INFECTIONS IN THE US ARE FOREVER


WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, STD’S ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF---YOUR BEHAVIOR :WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, STD’S ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF---YOUR BEHAVIOR


Slide 80:SOURCES: http://www.healthywomen.org/ http://www.wilmington.edu/manila/wellness/sexual_health.html http://health.family.org/teens/articles/A0001398.html http://www.healthsquare.com/fgwh/wh1ch11p3.htm http://www.chris.shands.ufl.edu/education/hiv/sld043.htm http://www.iwannaknow.org/brain2/index.html http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/std/std.asp http://www.kff.org/content/2003/3345/ http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/ http://www.medinstitute.org Developed by Thomas E. Rains Jr., Recruiter/Counselor, Bladen Community College, Dublin, NC