Learn the facts about sexual health with articles about puberty, menstruation, infections, and just about everything else you wanted to know, for guys and girls.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/sexually-transmitted/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.acog.org/-/media/For-Patients/faq112.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/pdf/contraceptive_methods_508.pdf
http://teachers.teachingsexualhealth.ca/wp-content/uploads/CALM-Contraception-Lesson-2.pdf
//www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/sexually-transmitted/Pages/Sexually-Transmitted-Infections-Prevention.aspx
Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevention
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are spread by sexual contact. While the incidence of reported STIs has actually declined in the United States in the last decade, the number of these infections in children and teenagers is still very high. About 25% of teenagers will have an STI before they graduate from high school.
Bacteria or viruses cause STIs. Any person who has sex with another person can get them. While STI symptoms can range from mild irritation and soreness to severe pain, many times there are no symptoms at all. The STI called chlamydia, for example, is generally symptom free or causes only mild symptoms. The diagnosis may not be made until complications develop.
Teenagers and young adults have higher rates of STIs than any other age group. One of the main reasons is that they frequently have unprotected sex. They are also biologically more likely to develop an infection. In addition, they may be less likely to use health care services that could give them information on how to protect themselves against STIs.
Prevention of STIs
The best way for teenagers to prevent STIs is to not have sexual intercourse. They should understand that when they choose to have sex, it is a decision that could affect them for the rest of their lives. Teenagers need to know that having sex could lead to pregnancy or an STI. Be certain that your teenager understands the risks. For example, make sure she knows that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a leading cause of death in people aged 15 to 24 years. The presence of other STIs such as chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, and syphilis can increase the chance of getting an HIV infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with STIs have at least 2 to 5 times the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact.
Sexually transmitted infections can also cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women (an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes) and epididymitis in men (inflammation of the coiled tube beside the testes). Complications from STIs can lead to infertility or an ectopic pregnancy (a fertilized egg that grows outside the womb). If a woman is pregnant, an STI can infect her baby.
Teenagers may face peer pressure to have sex. They need to understand that they can resist that pressure, and it’s OK to wait to have sex. Remind your teenager that saying “no” may not be easy at times, but saying “no” today is better than doing something she will regret tomorrow.
- “I like you a lot, but I’m just not ready to have sex.”
- “You’re really fun to be with, and I wouldn’t want to ruin our relationship with sex.”
- “You’re a great person, but sex isn’t how I prove I like someone.”
- “I want to wait until I’m married to have sex.”
Drugs and alcohol make it more difficult to remain firm about the choice to wait to have sex. Even sexually active teenagers might try high-risk sexual behaviors while drinking alcohol or using drugs.
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