Living with and STD in America- Feb

           

There are over 65 million Americans currently living with an STD. After finding out that you are living with an STD you not only have to come to terms with it yourself but you have to have awkward conversations with your partners in hopes that they don’t overact. STD’s do not discriminate, anyone can get one, 1 out of 2 people will get or be exposed to and STD by the time they are 20, most won’t know. One in 5 people living with HIV have no idea because they show no signs.[1]

            STD’s can go as far back as the Old Testament, however they were once seen as a personal stroke of faith to know a concern of health.[2] Syphilis first became recognized in the 1500 when an epidemic hit Europe.  In the 20^th century syphilis and gonorrhea were thought of as one disease but soon later was distinguished into two separate STD’s. Treatment such as sulfa drugs and penicillin was introduced in the 1930’s and 40’s. Herpes was discovered in in 1960’s and 70’s and did not have a very satisfactory form of treatment. The fist identification of AIDS was found out in 1981, and once was thought as a disease for only homosexuals. [3]In 1985 the human papilloma virus (HPV) started to rise, cause genital warts. In 1990 there was a penicillin resistance strains of gonorrhea. In 1993 pelvic inflammatory disease was affecting one million new women each year.

            In this day and age teenagers are more likely to get an STD especially since the number of sexually active teens is on the rise. A 15 year old girl has a 1 and 8 chance of developing pelvic inflammatory disease, where as a 24 year old has a 1 and 80 chance of getting pelvic inflammatory disease. [4] With casual sex on the rise you can get an STD in the same day that you get tested.

            Some might as what is next in the STD world, but just like anything else it is just waiting to see how everything plans out. Some say that bacterial vaginosis will be the next thing to make its way into the STD world. Some scientists say that the next kind of STD will be one that infects the bacteria in a women’s vagina and they wouldn’t have done anything to get it there.

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[1] http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/gyt/stds-testing-the-real-deal/

[2] Burg, G. 27 Feb 2014.

[3]  Encyclopædia Britannica, . N.p.. Web. 24 Feb 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/537217/sexually-transmitted-disease-STD>.

[4] Bohlin, R. G.. N.p.. Web. 24 Feb 2014. <http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/epid-std.html>.