What are STDs?
Sexually transmitted diseases are those 25 or so diseases that are spread through sexual contact. The most common are herpes, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papilloma virus, and chalymidia. How common are sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers? Of the more than 12 million Americans who contract a STD each year, over three million are teenagers. It is estimated that one out of eight adolescents will contract a sexually transmitted disease before leaving the teen years! 70% of all reported cases of STD’s involve people between the ages of 15 and 25. Young adults are at the highest risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease because of their high risk taking behavior. In addition, their understanding of these conditions is lacking. For example, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria, yet in a national survey only 23% of teens knew it was a STD. Are clean people less likely to get STD’s? The bacteria and viruses responsib
