Youth and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)

Hey friends,

Having unprotected sex can not only cause the problem of underage pregnancy, but it can also get you infected with sexually transmitted diseases. Both males and females can get diseases and they are common among those who have many sex partners and have unprotected sex. There are more than forty STDs that can be infected from having sexual intercourse, and HIV/AIDS is one of them.

The main symptoms of STDs are

• Painful or burning urination
• Bumps or sores and itching on or around the genital area
• Unusual and odorous virginal discharge  and discharge from penis

Sometimes, there can be lower abdominal pain in girls. However, symptoms of some diseases don’t surface in the beginning and only come to be known later when they get severe.

How to get treatment

It is very important to consult and get systematic treatment with a certified GP or a medical doctor at the same time together with one’s sexual partner at the earliest time possible to prevent further consequences. If one is ashamed and tries to avoid systematic treatment, the further consequences can be

• Urinary tract infection
• Pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, delivering a dead baby or a handicapped one
• Becoming infertile
• Becoming resistant to medication due to failure to follow the drug regime

Most of the sexually transmitted diseases can be totally treated and cured with systematic treatment.

Methods to prevent people from getting infected with STDs are

• Total abstinence from having sex
• Using a condom as protection if one cannot abstain from having sex

People who have STDs have a higher chance of getting infected with HIV than those who do not have STDs.