For most people sex is a private affair, and what happens between individuals stays between those individuals. Though this is often the view that people have, there is in fact an immense amount of sharing that takes place, beyond the emotional and physical act of making love, having sex, bumping uglies, or doing the nasty.
Each time you have sex there is another exchange, or potential exchange, that transforms this intimate personal activity into an issue of public health and public discourse – sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released STD statistics that show the number of people diagnosed with chlamydia has reached an all-time high. The CDC reported that there were more than 1,030,000 cases of chlamydia reported in the United States last year alone. Other STDs, including AIDS, accounted for another 430,000 diagnosed new cases of diseases last year in the U.S.
Though the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is completely preventable, it is clear from the statistics that this possibility for prevention does not translate into a fact of prevention. Some people argue that the most certain way to end all sexually transmitted disease sharing is to cut the moment of potential transmission out of the equation. However, advocating abstinence only as a method to prevent the spread of STDs, especially among young adults, is not a realistic solution.
The starting point to examining the reasons why there is such a high rate of STDs in the U.S. has to be an admission that people, especially college-aged individuals, are going to have sex, and are most likely going to have more than one sexual partner. Once people recognize that, we can begin to address real solutions that will look at adjusting both behaviors and perceptions so that we don’t share more than passion and orgasms.
While many people will advocate that we address sexual behavior first and, again, try to have people reduce the number of partners that they have, this does not get at the root of the issue. The real place to start is open and honest dialogue about what STDs are and to dispel the myths and stigmas that accompany STDs.
First, anybody can get an STD. This does not mean that you or your partner(s) as individuals are “dirty,” nor does it mean that your sexual identity or expression has somehow led to an infection. What it does mean is that because anybody can get an STD and can carry one without knowing it, everybody has the responsibility to have her or himself screened for STDs whenever there is a chance of having been infected, and before becoming intimate with a new partner. Also, we all have to take the extra step to use condoms and barriers that will also help stop the spread of STDs.
These are the realistic and mature behaviors that will stop the spread of these diseases. If talking about STDs with a new partner, going to an STD screening and using barriers sounds really un-sexy, think about how much of a turn-off it would be to share something potentially life-threatening with someone you care for. Try embracing the freedom of knowing you’ve been screened and treated and all you’re going to share with your partner is some screaming hot love.
Screenings and more information about STDs are available from the University Health Center, the Lane County Public Health Department, and Planned Parenthood.