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
College campuses have seen a rise, in the epidemic of Sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases have quickly become a household name amongst Americans. The dangers and health issues related to acquiring a STD has been the reason why more attention has been brought to the STD epidemic. The reason for this attention is to hopefully, slow down the rate of STD’S amongst students. There is a very astonishing fact stated by the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center, “Nearly 80% percent of people that are infected with STD’s do not know it. ("Agape Pregnancy Resource Center") The use of condoms, knowing your status, and the practice of abstinence are very effective ways of avoiding contracting STD’s. If we do not make students
"Approximately four million teens get a sexually transmitted disease every year" (Scripps 1). Today’s numbers of sexually active teens differ greatly from that of just a few years ago. Which in return, projects that not only the risk of being infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) has risen, but the actual numbers of those infected rise each year as well. These changes have not gone unnoticed. In fact have produced adaptations as to how society educates its young adults about sex, using special programs, various advertising, and regulating sexual education courses in public schools. One major adaptation is the advancement and availability of
According to Koumans et. al (2005), there have not been any studies conducted on STD education or services provided by higher education institutions here in the U.S. However, several studies demonstrate that misinformation and lack of educational resources contribute to risky sexual behavior which can lead to STDs (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2014).Therefore, it is imperative that universities and colleges find ways to increase awareness of sexual health services available for students on campus.
Studies have also shown that abstinence-focused programs have failed to reduce STI rates. The American Sexual Health Association states, “More than half of all people will have an STD/STI at some point in their lifetime,” (“Statistics”). Comprehensive sex education would teach teenagers how to improve their sexual health, prevent unwanted pregnancies, and prevent sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Providing students with this information does not encourage them to participate in sexual activity sooner. Several findings show that, “[Comprehensive sex education] effectively promotes abstinence and may delay sexual debut, reduce sexual frequency, reduce the number of sexual partners, reduce STI risk, and increase the likelihood of consistent contraceptive use,” (Jeffries 173). Comprehensive sex education will be beneficial to students by teaching them how to have sexual intercourse safely, if they choose to not remain abstinent.
Numerous sexual partners enables the chances of contracting an STI, such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, or Syphilis, to increase; that being said, statistics indicate that one in every five teens has had four or more sexual partners. Teens of the ages 15 through 19 are among the highest rates of the population infected with the previously mentioned sexually transmitted diseases. Teens engaging in sexual activity are often exposed to diseases without full understanding of the ease that these infections can be transmitted; students need to be exposed to the severe consequences in order to promote more cautious future decisions, like the amount of sexual encounters. Many young males and females never acquire information on the numerous sexually transmitted infections that they could catch and distribute nor how to prevent or treat such diseases. The statistics of high school students that document receiving counseling on STDs and STD testing at a routine checkup with their doctor meets low expectations, recording at 42.8 percent for females and only 26.4 percent for males. The high rates of infected teens could be directly related to the lack of knowledge they receive on the possible diseases that can be distributed through sex. Without proper knowledge on sexually transmitted diseases, the
Currently, there is no national standard regarding sexual education in America. Soaring sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are occurring at a national level – there are approximately nine million new occurrences of STI's in the United States each year among teenagers and young adults alone (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). Consequently, "the United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world—more than twice as in Canada" (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). This large number of infected teenagers combined with the startling pregnancy rates has caused a state of panic in many states, provoking discussion on the topic of introducing comprehensive sexual education into the classroom as a
Abstinence teaching only is not effective when trying to prevent STIs in teenagers. According to "Life123" (2012), ”While abstinence-only education programs have the support of many major national religious groups, a comprehensive sex education program in schools has the backing of a wide range of educational and medical organizations. Most proponents of comprehensive sex education argue that teens should be encouraged to abstain, but should also get information about contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases, and how to prevent HIV” (Family).
STDs can effects anyone.. Who does it affect the most? Why would they need this education? High school boys aged 14-18 Primary STD prevention relies on fi ve key strategies: practicing abstinence, choosing low-risk partners, discussing partners’ sexual history, using condoms consistently and not having multiple partners. Few studies have examined all of these strategies simultaneously, and few have focused on rural black adolescents, whose rates of early sexual initiation and STDs are among the highest in the nation. (p.
The reason why STD's are so high among the youth is that some of the tactics don’t work as well as we would like. A big contributor is the scare tactic, where a parent or educator shows you the worst-case scenario of an
Therefore, Australian adolescents are at serious risk as there are approximately 25% of young people reported sexually active by 15 years-old, with numbers increasing to 50% by Year 12; only 40% practice safe sex and use a condom (ACYS, 2014).Therefore, they are at greater risk of contracting STIs as a consequence of inexperience and lack of knowledge concerning risks with unprotected sex and access to contraception, social pressure, frequency of partner change, substance use and unwillingness to talk with parents or their general practitioner (DoHA, 2005). Hence, the success of lowering the prevalence of STIs among adolescents relies heavily on the knowledge about reproductive matters and access to and use of effective
Five years ago, the Center for Controlled Disease (CDC) reported that 79.5% of college students are sexually active (The Daily Barometer Staff). Seeing that nearly all students are having sex, it seems plausible that every university would have the proper education and health resources to insure that students are being safe and smart in their activities. Declining to provide these resources is similar to letting an inexperienced driver take the wheel of a automobile. Most teens would jump at the opportunity to speed down the streets at first chance. But quickly after putting the car into drive, the excitement would soon fade as panic starts to kick in. This speeding driver, much like an uneducated sexually active college student, would not
It’s back to school time and while most people don’t necessarily want to think about it, STD’s are very prevalent among college students. Partying and social engagements, are a big pastime and stress-reliever for many college students, which sometimes result in sexual encounters than can unfortunately, end with one or both parties contracting an STI. While that should not deter students from enjoying themselves, they still need to know about and be safe in regards to sexual encounters during their college career.
Third, the organizational level serves as a reflection of how the workplace and education system affect health outcomes. School stances on sexual health education vary region by region, some preach abstinence and use scare tactics by communicating the realistic effects of STDs and STIs. Although there is little research on men who have sex with men in adolescent years, there is some data that suggests more accessibility and availability of condoms in school results in a higher rate of condom use without an increase in overall rates of sexual activity (Diclemente,
The more frequent occurrence of STDs in the younger generations are also based upon the multiple barriers in retrieving the benefits in STD prevention services which includes the lack of health insurance or inability to pay, no transportation, embarrassment of the services in the facilities, and worries of discretion. (STDs) According to the US Department of Health and Human Service, twenty five percent of sexually active adolescents have already obtained an STD. (Parillo) The severity of the issue is approached with the control strategies and educational strategies. In which these educational strategies are more effective when it involves a big health educational program that is provided to our minors. The young populations that are particularly affected by STDs are the young women with a low income for it is easier for a female to receive an STD compared to men. And with those women having a low income, they are not able to access the services that are being provided to them. Today, four in ten sexually active adolescent girls have obtained an STD that can cause infertility and death; also two thirds of adolescent boys have HIV diagnoses.
Unlike older populations, college women are more likely to put off seeking care for STDs. This interval of prolonged care avoidance is mainly a result of the heightened sense of sexually transmitted disease associated stigma that is directed towards undergraduate women (Fortenberry, 420). Female students have increased fear regarding testing due to the bubble-like social setting that university campuses often create. One undergraduate woman discussed the source of her own fear and refusal towards testing, stating that "you don't want to tell people you are getting tested. I mean, it's that telephone effect.” Another female student had a similar sentiment and expressed how easily and quickly rumors could spread through college campuses (Barth