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Std & Std Prevention

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Sexually transmitted infections are a major health problem amongst college students in today's society. Each year, at least 3 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are reported among people in the United States who are under the age of 25. Within the United States, fifteen million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are annually reported. Out of these fifteen million cases reported, four million are teenagers. Over the last few years, the annual number of new STI/HIV infections has gradually increased amongst teens. Although teens account for a small percentage of reported STI infections, college students make up a large number of this small percentage. The exact number of STIs among college students is unknown, but …show more content…

A primary example of a successful peer-based STI-prevention in college would be the one conducted in a Swedish university. Before a peer-based STI prevention program was put into place almost half of the students who were surveyed knowledge about the dangers of STI, was not demonstrated by their sexual practices. A majority of their sexual behaviors were activities that were susceptible in contracting an STI. From there, a prevention program was put into place that combined a mass media campaign with peer education. The whole purpose of the prevention program was to increase the university's student's knowledge about STD, improve their attitudes towards the use of contraceptives, and promote the idea of getting tested for STIs. "The message seemed to have been well accepted and led to discussions among about half of the students. Although knowledge about STDs was high at baseline, about one fourth of the students reported that their knowledge about these diseases increased" . The evaluation of this program proved that the college students developed a positive attitude towards contraceptives, and getting tested for STIs. Many other universities often rely on flyers and poster as a source of spreading information based on STI prevention. Even though they may provide educational information about STIs, it may not be sufficient enough to change behaviors of adolescents and young adults. According to recent studies, "the most

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