How Do HIV, STD and Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Work Together?
HIV is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). HIV, other STDs (such as gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, chlamydia and trichomoniasis), and unintended pregnancy are all adverse consequences of sexual behavior. If someone is at risk for unintended pregnancy or common STDs, that means they are engaging in an activity that could also put them at risk for HIV. In addition, these STDs may increase the likelihood of HIV acquisition. STDs are the most frequently reported diseases in the US. Every year in the US, about 12 million new cases of STDs occur, 3 million of them among teenagers. 1 In 1996, for the first time in the US, the number of AIDS deaths decreased. However, new cases continue to occur, and the largest proportionate increase in AIDS incidence in 1996 occurred among men and women who acquired AIDS through heterosexual contact (28% increase for men, 23% for women). 2 Over half of the 6.4 million pregnancies in the US in 1988 were unintended (56%). As many of those pregnancies ended in
