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Get Tested
Sarah Coakley
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One in four adolescent girls have at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, according to a study released March 11.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) conducted a study headed by Sara Forhan, M.D., which estimated that 26 percent, or 3.2 million, of adolescent girls ages 14 to 19, obtained a common STD such as: human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, and trichomoniasis, according to CDC.
The study also indicated that as many as half (48 percent) of African-American adolescents were affected by STDs, compared to 20 percent of White adolescents (2008 National STD Prevention Conference).
Mary Dust, a sophomore at Michigan State University, said she takes birth control and uses another method of contraceptive whenever she is sexually active.
“I am smart enough to use more than one method of contraceptives because you don’t know who could have an STD – its not like you can tell just by looking at someone,” Dust said. “A lot of girls I know don’t think it’s necessary to use a condom, and that could cause major problems for them.”
A study done by Sherry L. Farr of the CDC and colleagues revealed that while 82 percent of sexually active teens ages 15 to 24 received contraceptives, only 39 percent received both contraceptives and STD/HIV services, like being tested (2008 National STD Prevention Conference).
Another separate study done by Shoshanna Handel of the CDC and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene focused on women seeking immediate contraception, meaning they engaged in unprotected sex recently. Only 27 percent of these women had been tested for the STDs Chlamydia and gonorrhea, and 12 percent of these women tested positively for them (2008 National STD Prevention Conference).
Barbara Payne, a certified nurse at Henry Ford Medical Center in Woodhaven, Mich., said recently more girls have been coming to the clinic with symptoms of STDs, and then when tested, actually have one of the common STDs found in young women.
“Girls are becoming more sexually active, especially at a younger age, than before,” Payne said. “Girls are also hitting puberty earlier, with some girls even starting menstruation at age 8 or earlier, and this leads to many girls experiencing a few sexual partners by the time they hit their teens.”
While girls may become sexually active for the first time, their partner may have already have had multiple partners and could pass on an STD without ever knowing it, Payne said.
She said you should get tested no matter if you are experiencing symptoms or not, because some STDs do not show visible signs or symptoms. Some common symptoms of an STD include: discharge, pain, infection and bumps near the vaginal area.
“The HPV vaccine, protection and regular checkups that include pap smears and urine tests should help detect most STDS,” Payne said. “If you are sexually active you should regularly get tested for HIV to be safe.”
She said that some public schools have “good sex-education programs,” while others do not, and “education makes all the difference.” While abstinence would be an ideal factor in lowering the amount of STDs in women, she said “learning the consequences of STDs and educating girls at a young age” would decrease the amount also.
Some measures are being taken to promote education and encourage HIV testing. The Center for Comprehensive Care aired a 30-second public service announcement promoting “Free Rapid HIV Testing” where insurance is not required.
“In the time it takes to ride an express train from 125th Street to Times Square, read the newspaper or drink your morning coffee, you an get an HIV test and know your status,” the commercial said, explaining how fast getting tested is and how beneficial it is to know your status.
Questions? Comments? Contact Sarah Coakley at coakley2@msu.edu
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