There are an estimated 19 million new cases of STDs each year in the United States. That’s too many. We can significantly cut that number down.
April, the STD Awareness Month, is a time to shine a light on sex and disease.
STDs know no age limits, they can be visible or invisible and, yes, they can even affect our own sons and daughters. STDs also have a serious economic impact, with direct medical costs estimated at $17.0 billion annually in this country alone.
The majority of STDs are preventable. Just by having a frank discussion with our partners, and using the appropriate protection, we can prevent most sexually transmitted diseases.
These are practical resources to help individuals and parents learn more about STDs and how to deal with current or potential infections:
- National HIV and STD Testing Resources – Where to get tested.
- STDResource – A place to learn about the diseases and methods of detection and prevention.
- Florida’s Health – A listing of resources for those wanting to get informed about STDs.
- CDC’s STD Website – Pages of information about sexually transmitted diseases.
- Wrap It. Test It. Treat It. – Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevention campaign from Minnesota.
- Healthy Penis – Syphilis prevention and treatment campaign in San Francisco and Cleveland.
- GYT (Get Yourself Tested) – Youth STD prevention and testing campaign sponsored by MTV.
- NYC Condom – Facebook campaign and condom distribution campaign in New York City.
- La Vida me Vida – Sexual health resources for Latinas in Alameda County, CA.
- Hookup – Sexual health text messaging program for youth throughout California.
There is never anything embarrassing about protecting our health. So wrap it up, protect yourself and keep STDs at bay!
(Photo courtesy of Andy54321)