The document discusses statistics on sexual activity and STDs among teenagers in the US. It notes that 48% of high school students report having had sex, and condoms can help reduce risk if used correctly every time. However, STDs remain common among young people, with half of new STD cases occurring in those ages 15-24. Several common STDs are described such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes, noting their potential impacts like infertility, stillbirths, and newborn infections. The CDC recommends STD screening for all pregnant women. Abstinence and correct condom use can help reduce STD risk.

1. The Birds & The
Bees

2. FACT
In 2007, 48% of all high school
students reported having
sexual intercourse—46% of
girls and 50% of boys.
The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy - June 2008
www.thenationalcampaign.org

3. Birth
Control
• Abstinence
• Natural Family Planning
• Barrier Methods
• Hormonal Methods

4. FACT
Condoms are not fool-proof. They do
fail, but they can help decrease
your risks. Condoms must be used
exactly as directed on the package.
If you do not use condoms as
directed, their failure rate
dramatically increases.

5. Birth
Control
Hormonal Methods
– Manufactured forms of hormones.
• Pill
• Patch
• Ring
• Shot
• Implant

6. MYTH
S • I won’t get pregnant if I am
on the pill.
• I won’t get an STD on the pill.
• I had unprotected sex only
once, I’m good.
• Using more than one
condom is more effective.

7. MYTH
S • I have already had an STD I
cannot get it again.
• Most people with an STD
experience painful
symptoms.
• I thought I had an STD but
the symptoms went away, I
am good.

8. FACT
The rate of STDs is high among young
people in the United States. Young
people ages 15-24 contract almost half
of the nation’s 19 million new STDs
every year. The CDC estimates that
one in four young women ages 15-19
has an STD.
CDC. STD Surveillance Report, 2006. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention; 2008.

9. How do they spread?
Most STDs are only spread through
direct sexual contact with an infected
person. However, pubic lice and
scabies can be spread through close
personal contact with an infected
person, or with infested clothes,
sheets, or towels.

10. STDs During
Pregnancy
Yes, you can get an STD while you’re
pregnant if you have sex with someone
who has an STD.
Being pregnant does not protect you or
your baby from STDs.
You may also get pregnant while you have
an STD.

11. FACT
STDs, such as chlamydia,
gonorrhea, syphilis,
trichomoniasis and BV can all be
treated and cured with antibiotics
that are safe to take during
pregnancy.

12. S T D s
Gonorrhea
– One of most common in the US
– Bacterial STD
– Left untreated, it can cause
• Heart disease
• Infertility
• Eye infections = blindness
– Miscarriage & stillbirth and low birthrate.
– Can pass to the baby during the birth
process.
– All babies are treated w/ eye drops just
after birth because it is so common.

13. S T D s

14. S T D s
Syphilis
– Bacterial STD
– Causes sores called a chancre.
• Sores will heal, but the bacteria are still there.
– Serious damage to an unborn child.
– Will pass through the placenta to the fetus during
pregnancy.
– Miscarriage & stillbirth and death shortly after
birth.
– Babies who survive develop congenital syphilis.
• Physical disabilities.

15. S T D s

16. S T D s
Chlamydia
– Most wide-spread and common STD in
US.
– Major cause of urinary tract infections.
– Pregnant women can experience
• Vaginal discharge
• Bleeding after sex
• Itching/burning urination
– Can pass to baby during delivery.
– Infected newborns develop
• Eye, ear and lung infections
• Can lead to death of a new born.

17. S T D s

18. S T D s
Genital Herpes
– NO CURE
– Symptoms come & go
• Blisters & sores around the genitals.
• Headaches
• Aching muscles, swollen glands.
– Miscarriage & stillbirth in pregnant
women.
– Infects baby during pregnancy & while
passing through the birth canal.
– Newborns can contract a number of
congenital disabilities.

19. S T D s

20. S T D s
HIV/AIDS
(Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome)
– Biggest health risk of our lifetime.
– No vaccine to prevent or cure.
– Breaks down the immune system,
which fights illness and protects the
body.
– Passed from mom to child during
pregnancy, delivery & breast-feeding.

21. Disease CDC Recommendation
Chlamydia Screen all pregnant women at first prenatal
visit; 3rd trimester rescreen if younger than
25 years of age and/or high risk group
Gonorrhea Screen all pregnant women at risk at first
prenatal visit; 3rd trimester rescreen
women at continued high risk
Risk factors include: young women aged
25 years or younger, living in a high
morbidity area, previous GC infection,
other STDs, new or multiple sex partners,
inconsistent condom use, commercial sex
work, drug use
Syphilis Screen all pregnant women at first prenatal
visit; during 3rd trimester rescreen women
who are at high risk for syphilis or who live
in areas with high numbers of syphilis
cases, and/or those who were not
previously tested or had a positive test in
the first trimester
HIV Screen all pregnant women at first prenatal
visit; rescreening in the third trimester
recommended for women at high risk for
getting HIV infection

22. AVOIDING S T D s
• The surest way to avoid getting an STD is
not to have sex, or to have sex only with
someone who’s not infected and who has
sex only with you. ABSTINENCE
• Condoms can reduce your risk of getting
some STDs if they are used the right way
every single time you have sex.
• Washing the genitals, urinating, or
douching after sex will not prevent any
STD.

23. FACT
You can get the same STD again if you
have sex, especially without a condom.
You can also have more than one STD
at a time. Also, some STDs are not
curable, so you can still have the STD
even if you have gotten treatment.

24. Resources
Center for Young Women's Health, Children's Hospital Boston. 2009..
CDC. STD Surveillance Report, 2006. Atlanta: US Department of Health
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2008.
Wasserheit, 1992 – www.cdc.gov/std
Parents and Their Children, Ryder/Decker. 2004.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy – June 2008 – www.thenationalcampaign.org
Darroch JE et al, Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988–1999, Family Planning
Perspectives, 2000, 32(5):204–211 & 265.