Young People's Guide to
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
and AIDS/HIV Disease

• Index of images
• Complete list of STDs
• Short STD guide in various languages
• Reproductive anatomy Diagrams

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Message to parents
• Anatomy of the sex organs
• Physiology of the sex organs
• STDs
  • General Questions
  • Gonorrhea
  • Herpes
  • Warts
  • Syphilis
  • Lice
  • Scabies
  • Yeast Infection
  • Hepatitis
  • Vaginitis
  • Molluscum
• How to check yourself for STDs
• AIDS
  • Testing
  • When a friend has AIDS
• How to prevent getting STDs and AIDS
• How to use a condom

How to prevent getting STDs and AIDS

Basic goals for HIV/STD Prevention

1. Abstinence

Learn the necessary skills to have control over your life. If you don't really feel you are mature enough to handle having sex and the possible problems that it can bring(e.g.. possible pregnancy and STDs), then you should learn how to not get yourself into a situation where you are out of control. Learn how to say no.

Don't have sex until you are old enough and smart enough to prevent getting these diseases. Abstinence is the only real way of not getting AIDS and STDs. Abstinence means not having sex. Just because it seems that all your friends are having sex does not mean that they are telling the truth. The fact is that at age fifteen, over 80% of girls have not had any sex and of all kids under seventeen, 40% of boys and 60% of girls have never had sex. If it doesn't seem like it is right to have sex then it may not be the right time.

Learn how to communicate with your partner . This is not always very easy to do. In America we have a hard time taking about sex and it can feel awkward and uncomfortable. It is important to think about these important issues in advance and to practice dealing with them. Practice saying no. Learning to say no gives a person a lot of power in their lives and it is a very grown-up way of handling things.

Get help with these issues wherever you can. Try your parents first. If they haven't already started to talk to you about these issues it is just because they also feel uncomfortable talking about them too. We are all in need of help when it comes to talking about these sensitive subjects. There are usually people at school who have a lot of experience talking about this and they are just waiting for you to come into their office. School guidance counselors and teachers are there only to help you and you may want to take advantage of this resource.

In America there is a lot of pressure to have sex. We are shown sex on TV, in the movies and in advertisements. The changes that teenagers bodies are going through makes you think about it more than when you were a kid. Remember that having sex is a serious undertaking and you should think of the possible problems that it can bring. Having sex is not kid stuff. It is an adult activity and it is serious business in these times. Getting yourself or someone else pregnant is a problem but getting or giving a disease that will kill you is a much bigger problem.

2. Use protection

If you decide that you will have sex, you have to be protected. Always use protection if you do have sex. This means you should learn how to use condoms properly and how to refuse to have unprotected sex. Having sex is a mature activity and you must be responsible if you have chosen to do it. Latex condoms have been shown to be protective against STDs including AIDS. It should be noted that even condoms are not foolproof and they may break or they may not be used properly.(see section later on how to use a condom) They are very effective if used in the right way. In other words, using condoms will help to protect you but they are not an absolute guaranteed foolproof method of being safe. They will most definitely help to protect you but the only 100% method to avoid getting any sexually transmitted disease(STD) is by not having sex. Using condoms properly and consistently will have the added benefit of preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Remember that over one million teenagers get pregnant every year in the United States.

3. Limit the number of sex partners you have.

It is just common sense that the more partners that you have sex with, the higher chance there is of meeting someone with these diseases. If you have already had sex in the past with someone, and you are not currently in a relationship, it does not mean that you should be having sex with someone now. It is perfectly normal not to be having sex with anyone at any given time. In the old days, it was common to have sex with just one person in a lifetime. Actually, it is still practiced in our society and in others but it is not well known. It is okay not to be having sex with anyone and it is okay to be saving yourself for that one special someone if you want. Abstinence (not having sex) is okay.

4. Avoid getting STDs(sexually transmitted diseases) and treat them promptly if you do get one.

If you get one STD then you could have just as easily have gotten another including AIDS. Also if you have an STD it makes an opening in your skin or an inflammation that may make it more likely for the AIDS virus to get into your body.

5. Keep control of your life and what you do.

Don't get yourself into situations that you may lose control (e.g.. getting drunk or using crack or other drugs that may affect your judgment). Without being able to make wise decisions, a fatal mistake may be made.

Although some teenagers don't think a lot about living to an old age (I didn't when I was younger), you just may make it to thirty or forty years or older and your body has to stay in shape to do it. Taking care of your body is important and that means avoiding unnecessary diseases if possible. A disease that you catch as a teenager can affect you for the rest of your life. Be smart! Don't let yourself get into a situation that you will regret someday. You will someday decide to have sex even though you know you are not yet ready to have a child or to get a sexually transmitted disease. You have to know how to avoid getting pregnant or get an STD.

Get help if you are having trouble dealing with growing up and the changes that it brings. We all go though adolescence and it was not easy for any of us. Life is not easy and we can all use all the help we can get. Do not be afraid to look and to ask for help. Your parents may be the first ones to look to or maybe a teacher or guidance counselor at school. There is usually a friend or relative or someone at your school that you can talk to. Try to think about what can happen to you before you get yourself in an uncomfortable situation. If you don't let yourself get into a tight spot you will not have to think about how to get yourself out of it. If you have already made some mistakes and you do have problems, you have to be strong enough to get help. There are people out there who care. You just have to look for them.

Talking more freely about sex, birth control and how to protect yourself from STDs can be learned. It is not easy for anyone but it can be done.

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