When you walk through the halls of a regular high school, you would not think much of it. Most students do not normally think of the dangers of receiving a Sexually Transmitted Disease as they go through their lives. Some will have multiple partners and not worry about what could be happening to their bodies while being sexually active. Although now, you will find that people are becoming sexually active younger than ever. Which means the pregnancy and STD risk just might slowly be raising in numbers and lowering in age more progressively over the years. Today, I’m going to discuss with you about how a lack of Sex Education classes for High School are affecting their lives.
“According to the Center of Disease Control, CDC estimates that youth ages 15-24 make up just over one quarter of the sexually active population, but account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections that occur in the United States each year.” That’s a major part of our youth. There is only so much we can do to lower the risk for them, yet also so much we can do as well.
“According to Planned Parenthood, STDs are infections that are passed from one person to another during vaginal, anal, and oral sex.” This meaning, that you should bring it into acute consideration to go get checked by your doctor for Sexual Transmitted Diseases and Infections regularly if you are sexually active. Being watchful and protecting yourself can help prevent yourself from receiving a Sexual Transmitted Disease and keep your body healthy and you happy. This can keep you and your partner safe from harmful STDs and Infections that have a greater possibility of becoming permanent.
There is a good hand full of Sexually Transmitted Diseases that can be cured, including, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, Syphilis, Scabies and Pubic Lice, also known as Crabs. There also are certain STDs that the body can clear on its own, such as Molluscum contagiosum, HPV, Hepatitis A, Acute Hepatitis B and Acute Hepatitis C. On the unlucky downside, there are a few STDs that cannot be cured at all and are permanent. These include, Oral Herpes, Genital Herpes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Chronic Hepatitis B, and HPV.
“Jacob Anderson-Minshall, stated on HIVplusmag.com, that 25 percent of Americans have incurable sexually transmitted diseases.” That means that out of the 327.16 million people living in the United States, around 81,790,000 people have a sexually transmitted disease that they are unable to cure. That’s roughly enough people to populate all of California, Texas, Pennsylvania and along with 85 percent of the current population of Wyoming. Imagine that you are in a room filled with 100 people, this statistic would indicate that for every 100 people, 25 of them have an incurable sexually transmitted disease, and 2.5 people out of every 10 as well.
Many school districts have been teaching students about sexual education early, starting from 5th and all the way to 8th grade, although, some school districts decided to discontinue sex education by the time that those young students enter high school. Think back to when you were in school? How many could honestly say that you were provided knowledge and were made aware of the dangers of STDs until the point of graduating high school from your school administration?
“While 58.3 percent of school districts in Texas taught abstinence-only programs, that’s down from 94 percent in 2008, according to the study. Meanwhile, the number of school districts that adopted an approach known in education circles as “abstinence-plus” which still encourages abstinence but also discusses accurate information on other pregnancy prevention methods and sexually transmitted diseases, rose from 3.6 percent to 16.6 percent of all districts. (Cassandra Pollock; The Texas Tribune)” “The CDC found that just 38 percent of high school students and 14 percent of middle school students are getting sex education that covers 19 topics the CDC considers important. (Lisa Stark; Education Week)” That is all just for Texas alone. Think of all the students that decide to become sexually active upon entering or while in high school. That is a low percentage of students that receive accurate knowledge of the different Sexually Transmitted Diseases and how to prevent them. Most students don’t learn about STDs until they contract one themselves.
Think back to the 38 percent of high school students in Texas school districts that do participate in a sex education class that goes over only 19 out of the many topics that are considered important by the CDC. This means that 62 percent of high school students, and 86 percent of middle school students do not receive this much information and are not educated to a satisfactory point on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and other topics necessary for them to know in a sex education class. That’s 62 percent of recent high school graduates walking out into the real world, not educated properly on how to avoid contracting an STD.
How would you feel about your child not being educated on the different STDs and how to be safe and avoid them? “According to Advocates for Youth, Fifty-six percent of teens (64 percent of females; 48 percent of males) had discussed HIV/AIDS with their parents. Fifty percent of teens (56 percent of females; 44 percent of males) had discussed STIs with parents.” It also states on Advocates for Youth, that overall more than 70 percent of teens feel embarrassed or worried or too shy about talking about sexual health issues with their parents. Parents make these teens feel so scared to come forward to them to talk and learn about these specific public health issues. Although, it is highly important because they do not receive this information from their schools. This is sadly something that should be improved more throughout states, because this gives hope that as the younger generations become older, they will become more aware and lower the rate of the percentage of people who contract an incurable STD or even just a curable one. It prevents them from being oblivious to what is going on with their body and understanding and/or having knowledge of how to get treatment for it. For example,
“According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, People living with HIV whose virus is completely, durably suppressed by treatment will not sexually transmit the virus to an HIV-negative partner.” This meaning that a person can find a way to suppress the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Students that take a Sex Education class, are taught that once you contract a Sexually Transmitted Disease, that there is no way around it. That it is stuck to them for good. They aren’t taught that some of them can go away naturally on its own, or that they can be cured with medication. They aren’t taught that there are medications to prevent them from contracting it like a Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or a suppressant to help prevent passing it on to another person. They are taught without all the light shed on the public health issues. They are only taught about condoms, and different birth controls and topics like those. They aren’t educated on the fact that you can still contract STDs even with condoms, especially if a condom is reused. They are not taught that an STD can still be given to them if they are on birth control, or if they perform oral sex, but not vaginal sex. Yes, it may be a bit graphic for their young minds, but the younger they become aware, the more likely that they will stay aware and become watchful for these types of things.
“In most of the country, fewer than half of high schools and only one-fifth of middle schools teach all 16 sexual health education topics recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(MedicineNet)” “MedicineNet also quoted from Dr. Jonathan Mermin, ‘We need to do a better job of giving our young people the skills and knowledge they need to protect their own health,’ Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, said in an agency news release. ‘It’s important to teach students about healthy relationships and how to reduce sexual risk before they start to have sex,’ he added.”
If the Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention is pointing out that sex education among high school students needs to be improved then there is most likely something wrong with how it is being taught now. There is so much information that could be taught when giving a sex education class. They could be sent out into the world prepared and knowing about STDs. Not having to worry about what to do if they see blisters or have sores on their genital areas.
In conclusion, STDs are everywhere, and high school students are left unaware of what they are more often as the years go by. They don’t understand what to do or what is going on with their bodies when it happens to them, because they don’t receive proper sex education from their schools nor their parents.
References
- “Sexually Transmitted Diseases(STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 Oct. 2018, www.cdc.gov/std/default.htm.
- Parenthood, Planned. “What Are STDs? | Sexually Transmitted Diseases Information.” Planned Parenthood, www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex.
- Anderson-Minshall, Jacob. “Shocking Stats on STDs in America.” HIVPlusMag.com, 25 Sept. 2015, www.hivplusmag.com/prevention/2015/09/25/shocking-stats-stds-america.
- Pollock, Cassandra. “Study: A Quarter of Texas Public Schools No Longer Teach Sex Ed.” The Texas Tribune, Texas Tribune, 14 Feb. 2017, www.texastribune.org/2017/02/14/texas-public-schools-largely-teach-abstinence-only-sex-education-repor/.
- Stark, Lisa. “Teaching Comprehensive Sex Education, From Kindergarten Through High School.” Education Week – Rules for Engagement, 22 Aug. 2018, blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2018/08/teaching_comprehensive_sex_education_-_from_kindergarten_through_high_school.html.
- Advocatesforyouth.org, www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents/136-parents.
- “Science Validates Undetectable = Untransmittable HIV Prevention Message.” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 17 Oct. 2018, www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/undetectable-equals-untransmittable.
- “CDC: Too Few Schools Teach Prevention of HIV, STDs, Pregnancy.” MedicineNet, 9 Dec. 2015, www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=192383.
