Risky Business
If you’re sexually active, you know you’re at risk for infection and unplanned pregnancy. Let’s look at an overview of the risks you and your peers face.
STDs & /STIs – Sexually Transmitted Diseases & Infections
So as we can see, hooking up can often be about having multiple partners. But even if you have a steady relationship, you’re still at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and should be familiar with symptoms and infection prevention.
It’s really hard to tell if someone has an STI. You may not even notice any apparent symptoms in yourself. And even if your partner seems healthy, the only way to be sure is to have an honest discussion. If you’re both willing to act in a loving way towards each other, you must be equally willing to prove that you’ve been tested or are willing to use protection. Let’s look at the predominant STIs to which college students are susceptible.
- HPV (human papillomavirus) – HPV, linked to cervical cancer in nearly 10,000 women each year, is one of the most widespread viral infections among college students and is estimated to cause at least 4,000 deaths each year. Two high-risk strains cause more than 70% of the cervical cancer cases each year, and the two low-risk strains cause genital warts. Fortunately, young women and preteens are now being encouraged to be vaccinated before they become sexually active. Once one has contracted the virus, the vaccine doesn’t work. HPV often has no visible symptoms. Because males can carry the virus, even if a woman has been vaccinated, the safest bet is to use a condom.
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) – The virus that causes AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome – has become one of the deadliest scourges on the planet. While AIDS can become a managed, chronic disability for some people with access to up-to-date (and extremely expensive) health care, it still causes lifelong health problems and shortens life spans. There’s no vaccine. The heat of passion is not the time to present test results, so use a condom.
- Chlamydia – A bacterial infection that can be transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sex, this “silent disease” often goes undiagnosed because men and women – at least 75% of them – experience no outward symptoms. It is said to be the most frequently reported bacterial infection among college students, affecting nearly a million people in 2005. In women, Chlamydia can cause damage to reproductive tissues in both men and women. Diagnosed patients and their partners must be treated with antibiotics.
- Herpes Simplex – A very common virus that isn’t that easy to diagnose, this affliction comes in two varieties: Type 1 (HSV-1) and Type 2 (HSV-2). It’s so common that 20% of the population may carry HSV-2. HSV is transmitted through genital or oral-genital contact. Once the virus enters the bloodstream, it cannot be eradicated, but some medications can shorten the duration of symptoms and prevent outbreaks. But symptoms may vary, from none at all to mild, to genital blisters and sores to fevers and swollen glands.