What is the greatest obstacle to controlling the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teens?
Risk taking behavior and unprotected sex are barriers to effective control of STD’s. In addition, most teens are ashamed or embarrassed when they find out they are infected. Often, they do not tell their partner about the problem because of these feelings and this lack of communication has contributed greatly to the spread of STD’s. Once you have had a sexually transmitted disease, are you protected against getting it again? No. An infection with a sexually transmitted disease does not cause the body to build up antibodies to prevent future infections, like it does with other infectious diseases like chicken pox. It is therefore possible to get a STD repeatedly. Repeated infections, in fact, increase the possibility of developing scar tissue that could lead to infertility. What should a teen do if they think they have a sexually transmitted disease? If a person thinks they have a sexually transmitted disease or have been exposed to one, they should see their physician immediately. Timi
