Get the facts 

        

About STDs

Sexually transmitted disease
Facts and trends

The Basics

• There are over 20 diagnosable sexually transmitted diseases in the United States today.

• 1 in 4 sexually active teens contract an STD each year.

• Half of all new HIV cases are in people under age 25

• 19.1 million new STD cases are reported each year.

• Half of all those infected with an STD don’t know they have it.

• Almost all STDs can be passed by oral sex, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia being the most common.

• Diseases such as Herpes, HPV, and HIV/AIDS are viral and can be treated but not cured. You will have them your entire life.

• One in five people in the U.S. are infected with Herpes

Transmission

• STDs can be passed through oral, vaginal or anal sex.

  Herpes, genital warts (HPV) and most other STDs can be passed even though there is NO SIGN of an outbreak (or other symptoms).

• Only condoms protect against STD transmission…..no other birth control method does.

• STD’s that involve skin to skin transmission, such as body lice, genital warts or Herpes can be passed when USING a CONDOM (there is a lot of genital area the condom doesn’t cover).

Prevention

• The only 100% guaranteed protection against STD’s is abstinence (including from oral sex).

• Both partners need to be tested and stay monogamous (for more than a few weeks or months!). Testing can be expensive.

• Male latex condoms have been proven to be the most effective protection against STD transmission, especially HIV.

• No condom is guaranteed to work, and cannot cover all areas skin-based diseases may be present (Herpes, Genital Warts).