Why Abstain? STDs

No one has ever died from abstaining. The same cannot be said of the those who indulge their passions.

One-quarter (25%!) of new sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases each year are teens.

One in four sexually active teens become infected with an STD every year.

STDs can be painful. Some of them are incurable. Some are fatal. Catching an STD increases one's chances of contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. 20% of full-blown AIDS cases are diagnosed among people in their twenties; most of them contracted HIV in their teens.

Sexually transmitted disease include, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, venereal warts, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The most common STD is chlamydia, which causes genital discharge and a burning sensation when urinating. (Sounds like fun, huh? Sexy, too!) Over 4 million Americans are diagnosed with chlamydia each year and many cases goes undiagnosed. 22% of sexually active girls and 10% of sexually active boys have been infected with chlamydia. Also, for the first time, teenage girls have the highest gonorrhea rate in the nation, with teenage boys coming in second.

Oh yeah - the odds of contracting an STD are increased the more partners one has. Just thought we'd mention that.

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