ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

By age 25, half of all young people will have acquired one or more infections. There are more than 9 million young people with a sexually transmitted infection.
Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 represent only a quarter of the sexually active population. Yet they have almost half of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) out there! Let's take a look at which sexually transmitted infections affect young people the most.
Young people between the ages of 15 and 19 account for 40% of chlamydia cases.
One in five young people will become infected with genital herpes when they reach adulthood.
Men between the ages of 20 and 24 have the highest rates of gonorrhea.
Why are STDs / STDs still a problem among young people? It's not about whether teens have sex. By year 12, 65 percent of high school students will have had sex and one in five sexually active teens will have had four or more sexual partners. These numbers continue to increase after high school. With this, chronic STIs are more likely to be passed on to future partners and spread between populations. Adolescents and young adults are a vulnerable population because they make decisions and act in ways that put them at greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Young people are more likely than any other age group to:
Have multiple sexual partners.
Having unprotected sex
Consume drugs and alcohol at high rates
Engaging in high-risk behaviors under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
While STDs can be scary and embarrassing at times, they are not uncommon.
Talk to your healthcare provider.
You should talk to your doctor about how to be sexually healthy and make sure you understand how to protect yourself from STIs in the most effective way possible.
Be sure to get tested for STIs regularly, especially when you are sexually active with a new partner. Many STDs have no physical symptoms and it is vital that you know your condition so that you can take steps to heal your body if you have an infection and so that you can protect your partner.
Remember, your doctor is here to help you maintain good health in all areas of your life, so be sure to be completely honest about your concerns and experiences. This will help your doctor get a complete and clear picture of your overall health because good sexual health and good overall health go hand in hand.
Here are some open conversations that may be helpful:
"When I decide to have sex, I want to make sure I take all the right steps to protect myself from STIs. Where do I start?"
[If you have a female partner] "How can I talk to my partner about birth control?"
“How can I talk to my partner about sexually transmitted diseases / sexually transmitted diseases? Can you give me some advice? "
“I want to make sure that my partner and I get tested before having sex for the first time. Where should I go? How should I tell you about this? "