Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are gradually increasing in the youth, mainly in adolescents. STIs are mainly transferred through some type of sexually intercourse between two individuals. The youth of this generation have the complex that they are untouchable and don’t comprehend the extent of their action. Nevertheless, the youth account for almost half of the population in the United States that has STIs. Most adolescent and young adult do not know that they have a STI until it is too late and it can lead to problems further on in life. Most adolescents do not know the short term and long term affects of these STIs until it is to late. If they are educated, they can learn the full extent of what can happen and keep them healthy. By having schools and parents on the same page about educating them, this could lower the rate of STIs.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are transfer thought sexual intercourse with another partner. Typically, STI’s are transmitted through oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. “Adolescents and young adults 15-24 years of age represent approximately 25% of the sexually active United State population, but account for nearly half of all new sexually transmitted infection”(Schneider, 2019). With the younger generation becoming sexually active a lot earlier these days, it is important to educate them on their risk of getting an STI and how to prevent it. STIs can affect an individual's life everyday once they have contracted the infection. The theory of reasoned action/ planned behavior has high potential to change this epidemic and alter the reality of many teens across the world. The attitudes regarding risky sexual behavior are significantly different now then what they where thirty years ago.
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Sexually transmitted infections are becoming a huge health issue among teenagers in the world. The problem with the youth being sexually active is that they don’t know the full extent of the actions they’re taking until it is too late. “The reluctance of adolescents to use condoms is another possible explanation for the increase in STIs” (Samkange-Zeeb, 2011). The main problem with STI’s is that most are symptom free and they can be passed along to the next partner before one even knows that they have it. “Female adolescents are likely to have a higher risk of contracting an STI than their male counterparts, as their partners are generally older and hence more likely to be infected”(Schneider, 2019). When they become sexual active most do not want to talk about their sex lives. Since they do not talk their sex lives they also do not go into the doctor to get regular testing done. Some are scared to go to the doctor to get tested because of insurance issues or they do not want their parents to know about it.
Most of the adolescents in this generation have this idea that nothing can touch and that they are invincible. There are many consequences to their actions that they don’t seem to understand until it too late to change it. In the science diet article it talks about “complications (that) can include pelvic inflammatory diseases and possibly lead to ectopic pregnancies and infertility” (Samkange-Zeeb, 2011). The way that complications are transfer is by unprotected or unsafe sex. Most teens don’t always know if they have a STI before moving on to the next partner. Since females are more prone to an STI, they often suffer the most with the obstacles that they are faced with. Women are faced with infertility problems later in life due to suffering the consequences of the decisions they made in their youth. STI’s do not often show symptoms so they pretty much incubate in a woman’s bodies damaging her reproductive organs over time. “Most cases of tubal factor infertility are attributable to untreated sexually transmitted diseases that ascend along the reproductive tract and are capable of causing tubal inflammation, damage, and scarring”(G.TsevatBAa, 2016).
There are many factors that play a role to an adolescent or young adult to become sexually active early on and how they contract a STI. Those factors can be biological, behavioral, culture or even environmental. According to the Center of Disease Control, “biologically young women are more prone to getting STI then young men, young people do not get the recommendation for STI screenings, (so) they are hesitant to talk about it openly and honestly, or they do not have insurance or transportation to the screening” (CDC, 2014). Sex education is still a taboo subject for some people; also some religions believe that it should not be taught. However, sex education is now being taught in schools. This is because parents do not feel comfortable talking about sex with their children at home. Most parents do not know how to approach the subject with their teens. However, giving sex education courses to the adolescents will strengthen their knowledge about the topic but also gave them a healthy mind set toward sex. Teachers have set curriculum that they are required to teach in sex education classes, these courses where fabricated my school board directors and parents alike. “Sex education is required for adolescent to provide them with positive direction and knowledge which would avoid unnecessary worries and tensions”(Toor, 2012).
To conclude, sex education is an important subject to teach adolescents about sexually transmitted infections. If adolescents are taught the right tools to protect themselves, they will better understand the subject and might giver higher regard to their choices, thus fearing the repercussions. As stated in the paragraphs above, adolescents can contract STIs which can have some serious complications in their near future. If adolescents can become more aware about STI’S they have a higher likelihood to stay healthy and protect against disease or infection. With the help from teachers and parents, the adolescents can better understand that their actions have consequences, some if these being life altering or even deadly.
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