Chances have it that you're familiar with the initialism STD, which is short for sexually transmitted disease. Just for clarification's sake, keep in mind that STDs aren't exclusively spread through sexual intercourse. Rather, it is, in fact, safe to say that the majority of these diseases are spread by getting it on.
Sexually transmitted diseases generally cannot be cured. The symptoms of most STDs can be managed by modern medicine, though getting rid of the majority of them is impossible - or, at least, it's very close to it.
Some of the most common and well-known STDs include the human immunodeficiency virus, better known as HIV, the herpes simplex virus, simply shortened to herpes by most people, and the human papillomavirus, more frequently called HPV.
The many potential problems caused by sexually transmitted diseases
If you pass an STD onto someone who you've engaged in sexual contact with, you could be fined, put on probation, or straight-away thrown in the slammer.
Treating STDs can be free for some, though it often costs a fair amount of money for most people. It's necessary for STDs to be treated promptly because they can result in people having painful, discomforting, stigmatizing, or otherwise unwanted symptoms, potentially getting in the way of work, school, family life, and other obligations.
Some STDs, including the likes of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, can cause death in people who are infected by them. HPV, the human papillomavirus, is known to cause cancer in and around the anus, cervix, penis, and throat.
Without going further, it's easy to see the problems associated with sexually transmitted diseases.
Did you know that STD transmission rates in the United States are on the rise?
Even though the United States is one of the most developed countries on planet Earth, the rate of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases are higher than ever before across the nation.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a go-to governmental authority for all things related to disease and infections, the number of cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, respectively, that were diagnosed in the United States have increased by margins of 22 percent, 67 percent, and 76 percent. This information uses the number of STD diagnoses across the country from 2013 as a baseline and compares them to statistics pulled from 2017.
Believe it or not, Americans are engaging in sexual activities less frequently than they have in previous years.
What's the current risk of catching an STD in the United States in 2019?
Unfortunately, quantifying the risk of getting an STD in terms of probability is impossible. Just know that we're currently sitting not-so-pretty at an all-time high of STD diagnoses in the United States.
Here's how to better deal with sexually transmitted diseases
All people who are sexually active need to get tested more frequently. People need to use condoms every time they have sex.
Nonprofit organizations and government agencies need to better educate Americans on information related to STDs. Further, physicians need to more thoroughly screen for and treat STDs.
However, solving the issue of STDs is a multi-faceted issue on which full-length, small-print textbooks can be written about - see how many there are at your local library.
- I work with https://stdtestingfacilities.com/, which provides users same day STD testing in a discrete and proficient manner.
