Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STIs)
What is the
difference between sexually transmitted infection (STI) and sexually
transmitted disease (STD)?
These terms are often confused, but they are not inter-changeable. Sexually
transmitted infection is the broadest term. All STDs are STIs, but not all STIs
are STDs.
STIs
can cause serious health problems like:
1. Death
2. Cancer
3. Pain
4. Infertility
STIs can
be spread through all types of sexual activity such as:
- Oral
Sex -which is mouth to genital contact
- Vaginal
sex -which is penis into the vagina
- Anal
sex -which is penis into anus(most risky)
- Outercourse- skin to skin contact in
the genital area
The bottom line is STIs are spread through sex and sex is
sex.
Let's Take a closer look at STIs:
- Teens
are at a greater risk for STIs because the younger you are the more likely
you are to have multiple partners.
2. Adolescent
girls may be at a greater risk because the cervix (opening to the
uterus (where the baby grows) is not fully developed until the mid-twenties.
Epidemic Proportions
Since the "sexual revolution" of the 60's, the
number of known STIs has gone from 2 to over 25. Many are asymptomatic - there are no visible
signs. Some infections cause temporary symptoms (such as sores and warts) but
are still transmittable when they are not present.
Many teens still believe that you can tell when somebody has "got" something. This line of thinking is wrong and dangerous.
Remaining
abstinent until marriage, getting married to an uninfected partner and remaining
mutually faithful within your marital commitment are the ONLY 100%
effective methods of protection.
Viral
STIs
A Viral STI such as HIV/AIDS and most strains of HPV (see
below) cannot be cured with any medication or antibiotic. There is NO CURE. The symptoms may be eased with medications,
but the disease will remain throughout your life. You will need to tell any partner you are
with what you have and will have to tell your obstetrician if you are planning
to have children.
Common STI Chart
HPV: The Human
Papilloma Virus
·
THE #1 MOST COMMON VIRAL STI
·
THERE IS NO CURE FOR MOST STRAINS. A FEW strains of
the virus can eradicate themselves within the body.
·
HPV that can not be seen on the body is the most
harmful type and most likely to lead to cancer. Strains that cause visible
warts are less harmful but need to be treated by a physician either by
freezing, laser, or surgical removal.
·
MAY CAUSE WARTS ON THE ANUS, GENITALS, MOUTH,
THROAT
·
SPREAD BY SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT:
·
CAN CAUSE CERVICAL, VULVAR, AND PENILE CANCER:
Kills more women each year than AIDS
·
AS MANY AS 80% OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE ADULTS ARE
INFECTED.
·
CONDOMS ARE NOT DEMONSTRATED TO eliminate the transmission of infection.
·
Click here to read articlerelated to HPV and Condoms
HIV/AIDS: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
·
HIV IS A VIRAL INFECTION WHICH CAUSES AIDS
·
THERE IS NO CURE: Medications simply postpone
death.
·
PRIMARILY SPREAD THROUGH ANAL SEX
·
SPREAD THROUGH THE EXCHANGE OF BODY FLUIDS: Condoms
decrease but do NOT eliminate risk.
·
NO INITIAL SYMPTOMS: Millions are infected and
don't know it.
·
TEENS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN ADULTS
·
DEVELOPS INTO HEALTH COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS CANCER,
HEART PROBLEMS, AND NERVOUS DISORDERS
Genital Herpes
·
VIRAL INFECTION
·
NO KNOWN CURE: Once you've got it, you'll always
have it.
·
CAUSES OPEN SORES ON THE ANUS, GENITALS, MOUTH or
any- where on the body that the virus has infiltrated.
·
CONTAGIOUS EVEN WHEN NO SORES ARE PRESENT
·
SPREAD BY SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT.
·
INCREASES CHANCES OF GETTING OTHER STIs, INCLUDING
HIV/AIDS
·
1/3 OF SEXUALLY ACTIVE PEOPLE ARE INFECTED
·
CONDOMs ARE NOT
DEMONSTRATED TO Eliminate the transmission of infection.
Bacterial STIs
Bacterial
STIs may be treated and cured with antibiotics if infection is detected early.
Chlamydia
·
MOST COMMON #1 BACTERIAL INFECTION IN THE U.S.
·
CARRIERS OFTEN HAVE NO SYMPTOMS
·
FOUR MILLION NEW INFECTIONS A YEAR
·
CAUSES PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID), ECTOPIC
PREGNANCY, AND INFERTILITY AMONG WOMEN
·
TEENAGE FEMALES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFECTION
THAN ADULTS
·
CONDOMS ARE NOT DEMONSTRATED TO eliminate the transmission of infection.
Gonorrhea: New Strains
Resist Treatment
·
BACTERIAL INFECTION
·
AS DRUG-RESISTANT STRAINS OF GONORRHEA CONTINUE TO
EMERGE, SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF THIS STI IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT. IN THE
1980s, GONORRHEA BECAME RESISTANT TO PENICILLIN AND TETRACYCLINE, RENDERING
THESE DRUGS INEFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR GONORRHEA.
·
IF NOT TREATED SUCCESSFULLY, GONORRHEA CAN CAUSE
PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID), INFERTILITY, ECTOPIC PREGNANCY, AND CHRONIC
PELVIC PAIN. PREVIOUS STUDIES ALSO HAVE SHOWN THAT GONORRHEA CAN FACILITATE HIV
TRANSMISSION. THE ESTIMATED DIRECT MEDICAL COST OF TREATING GONORRHEA IN THE
UNITED STATES IS $56 MILLION EACH YEAR. GONORRHEA IS THE SECOND MOST COMMON
DISEASE REPORTED TO CDC, WITH MORE THAN 360,000 CASES REPORTED IN 1999.
·
Condoms are found to be
helpful approximately 15% of the time with males; no help with prevention for
females.
Syphillis
·
BACTERIAL INFECTION: Can be treated with early
diagnosis
·
CHANCRE SORES APPEAR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE:
Could be internal and therefore unnoticed.
·
IF LEFT UNTREATED WILL BECOME LIFE-THREATENING
·
CAN CAUSE BLINDNESS, HEART DISEASE, NERVOUS
DISORDERS, INSANITY, TUMORS, AND DEATH
·
ABOUT 100,000 NEW INFECTIONS ANNUALLY
·
CONDOMS ARE NOT DEMONSTRATED
TO Eliminate the transmission of infection.
Source:
Medical Institute Conference, June, 2004, Washington,
DC. Centers for Disease Control, National Center for HIV, STD, & TB
Prevention, September 22, 2000, NIH Report
Think you know your facts? Even
more important do you think you may
have an STI? Click site below
to find out what to do now.
www.STDwizard.org
Sex and The
Media
"Sex
sells!" That's what one of our WorthWaiting4 Team members learned
when she studied media at a local university.
Have you really ever made yourself "STOP","LOOK" and really "LISTEN" to the advertisements, movies,
music and music videos of our time? If you ever do, what you will find is that
they are often soaked with blatant sexual messages. The messages often say the
same thing, "If you wear our brand, buy our magazine, copy our look, you will
be more attractive and get what you want." They often assume that what "you
want" is-- sex. Now, ask yourself, "What
is the media's motivation?" This really has an easy answer... the main
motivation is to sell the product, service or idea-- to make money.
Do you
think the advertisers, movie and television show producers, and music producers
really care about you? What if you wear their brand,
mimic their behavior or look? Would they provide funds for your court costs,
lawyer fees, and doctor bills, and be there to help support you if you were
sexually assaulted; provide counseling for your emotional distress; see that
you have medications available to help treat you if you contacted an STI; help
you pay child support or care for your unexpected baby?
We are surrounded by and often fed a steady diet of
negative messages. These messages, namely from the media, constantly try to
persuade us that we aren't good enough. They try to make us think we will ONLY be better if we wear their
certain brand of clothing, scent, shoes, make-up, etc., or be more like the
famous celebrity, sports star, musician, etc. Often, their messages beat us
down saying we can never measure up. In that case, they are actually selling a
lie. Each of us has a God-given uniqueness. Sometimes, when we are hit with
messages like these, we lose our sense of value.
Here's a thought concerning value, "When there is only one
of something in the whole wide world, how valuable is it?" It is priceless, precious!
No monetary value can be placed on it. Never
forget, there is no one else in the world exactly like you. You are unique! You are exceptional! You
are precious! You are significant!
Guard your heart, guard the gift of yourself, and give the
gift of you to the world in a pure, honest, excellent and true way! Turn your head away, stop-up your ears and
close your eyes to any message that would try to sell you something different.
Sex
and the Bible
Created in His image (Genesis
1 26-28; Job 7:17)
According to the Bible, God made us in His image and in
His likeness. Men and women are the crown of His creation. He created us for
relationship, with Him and with one another. He created us to be loved and to love. He gave us life and created
us to give life. His desire is to give us a future and a hope.
God ordained marriage (Genesis 2: 18-25)
The first institution God established on earth was that of
family. He said, "A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh. The two of them, the man and his
wife, were naked and unashamed" We must understand that a faithfully, committed
marriage is ordained by God Himself, not because God is a prude and likes to
suck all the fun out of life, but because He is Love and Love desires The Best for us. After all, He is our Designer, our Maker;
shouldn't He know what's best?
Marriage: God's umbrella of
protection (Mt
19:6)
A faithfully, committed marriage is like a great big
umbrella which protects, not only the husband and wife from harmful effects,
but it also is intended to provide a safe place for children, prevent many ills
of society and be a blessing to God's overall creation. God's blessing is on a faithfully, committed marriage.
Living a life of love (John 15:17; 1 Corinthians 13;
Ephesians 5:21-33; Galatians 5:13-15)
A life
of love gives protection and direction and is a cause for celebration. It is
important for us to live a life of love. It is also important for us to value
life. As we walk in those two realities the effects should be protection in
childhood, direction in adolescence and celebration in adulthood.
Selfishness separates and destroys
relationships
(1 John 3: 15-17) (The Message Bible)
"Don't love the
world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love
for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your
own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important-has
nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all
its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out-but whoever does what God wants
is set for eternity.
Sexual sin is a result of
selfishness (Galatians
5: 13-15)
The Bible tells us
what kind of life develops out of trying to get our own way all the time.
Notice, that the first two items listed there are adultery (being married and
having sex with someone other than your husband or wife) and fornication (not
married and having sex): sexual sins. Part of the problem is that many people
are stepping out from underneath God's protective umbrella by choosing to
participate in sexual activity outside of a faithfully, committed marriage.
The
break-up of marriages in our society today is resulting in problems galore for
our society and for many individuals.
Sex is good and is meant for
marriage (1
Corinthians 7: 1-4;
1 Corinthians 7:7-9) (The Message)
Having said all of this, let's look at a few places in The
Bible where sex is addressed:
"First, is it a good thing to have sexual
relations?
"Certainly, but
only within a certain context: It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a
woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong
enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in
a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality-the
husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband.
Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision
to serve the other, whether in bed or out."
Marriage isn't for everyone, but
sex is meant for marriage 'only' (1
Corinthians 7:7) (The Message)
"Sometimes, I wish
everyone were single like me-a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy (sexual
abstinence) is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift
of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others."
According to this passage of scripture, it is not intended
for everyone to be married, but make no
mistake about it, this same passage makes clear that sex was made for marriage and if you are single (not married) sex is
not for you.
You are special, so practice
self-control (1 Thessalonians 4:1-6) (NIV)
"Finally, brothers (and sisters), we instructed you how to
live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge
you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions
we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid
sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a
way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen,
who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother
(or sister) or take advantage of him (her). The Lord will punish men (women)
for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not
call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
Second chances
Maybe, you have been or are currently participating in
sexual activity. It is not too late to
make a fresh start. God is a God of forgiveness (1 John 1:9; John
8:1-11).He also gives us power and grace to live a pure life. (2 Thessalonians
1:11-12) He has made a way for us to be washed clean and to start fresh.
If you have questions or would like to discuss this, email
us at: info@iamworthwaiting4.org
