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Page 1 of 3 teenage sex
It's especially important to remember that pregnancy isn't the only thing you should be thinking about. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) pose a serious risk to anyone having unprotected sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and in some cases, skin-to-skin contact with an infected area. (FYI - an infected area may not always be noticeable.) It is important to remember that although all methods of contraception provide protection against pregnancy, they don't always protect against STDs.
Many STDs have no symptoms, so you can't tell if you have one just by looking. The only way to know for sure whether you have an STD is to get tested. That means you can't tell if a partner has an STD, unless your partner also gets tested. If you have never been tested for STDs, you may want to ask your health care provider about testing and screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all sexually active teens be screened for chlamydia annually, even if symptoms are not present. Ladies, also remember that although pap smears can screen for any cervical abnormalities, including abnormalities linked to the human papilloma virus (HPV), pap smears are NOT a test for STDs. In other words, there are different tests for each STD.
To get tested for STDs, you can go to a health care provider or to a family planning or STD clinic that provides low cost (sometimes even free) and confidential STD testing and treatment. To find a clinic near you, call the CDC's National STD Hotline at 1-800-227-8922 or Planned Parenthood's national hotline at 1-800-230-PLAN
Here are the most common STDs:
Chlamydia
- What it is: A bacterial infection of the genital area.
- How many get it: About 3 million cases each year.
- Signs: There are no symptoms in most women and many men who have it. Others may experience abnormal vaginal bleeding (not your period), unusual discharge or pain during urination within one to three weeks of having sex with an infected partner.
- How it's spread: Through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse.
- Treatment: Oral antibiotics cure the infection; both partners must be treated at the same time to prevent passing the infection back and forth, and both partners need to abstain from unprotected intercourse until the infection is gone.
- Possible consequences: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, infertility, and increased risk of HIV infection.
Genital Herpes
- What it is: A viral infection of the genital area (and sometimes around the mouth).
- How to get it: About 1 million new cases each year; an estimated 45 million cases already exist.
- Signs: There are two kinds of herpes. Herpes 1 causes cold sores and fever blisters on the mouth but can be spread to the genitals; Herpes 2 is usually on the genitals but it can be spread to the mouth. Nearly two-thirds of people who are infected with herpes don't even realize it. An outbreak can cause red bumps that turn into painful blisters or sores on the vagina, penis, buttocks, thighs, or elsewhere. During the first attack, it can also lead to flu-like symptoms, including fever, headaches, and swollen glands. Symptoms usually appear within two weeks of infection but can take longer in some cases. The first outbreak is usually more severe than later recurrences.
- How it's spread: By touching an infected area or having unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. Warning: some people may be contagious even when they don't have symptoms.
- Treatment: There is no cure. An antiviral drug can help the pain and itching and also reduce the frequency of recurrent outbreaks.
- Possible consequences: Recurrent sores (the virus lives in the nerve roots and keeps coming back), as well as increased risk of HIV infection. Transmission of herpes to newborns is rare. Most mothers with a history of herpes have normal vaginal deliveries. However, an infant who gets herpes can become very ill, so some precautions are advisable.
Gonorrhea
- What it is: A bacterial infection of the genital area.
- How many get it: Approximately 650,000 new cases a year; teens have higher rates of gonorrhea than do sexually active men and women aged 20-44.
- Signs: Most women and many men who get it have no symptoms. For those who do get symptoms, it can cause a burning sensation while urinating, green or yellowish vaginal or penile discharge, and for women, abnormal vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain. Symptoms can appear 2 to 10 days after infection.
- How it's spread: Through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
- Treatment: Oral antibiotics. Both partners need to be treated at the same time to prevent passing the infection back and forth and both partners need to abstain from intercourse until the infection is gone.
- Possible consequences: PID, tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, sterility, increased risk of HIV infection. The infection can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes. It can also cause complications during pregnancy (including stillbirth) or infant blindness or meningitis (from an infected mom during delivery).
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