Condom Concerns

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the battle towards prevention of sexually transmitted diseases needs to move front and center. Sexually transmitted disease prevention is a crucial issue, particularly since the rates of their incidence are on the rise among teens and young adults. Now, one Ivy League college has decided to force the issue of sexually transmitted disease prevention to the forefront.

"They think if they're on birth control they don't need to use a condom because preventing pregnancy is important, not preventing STDs" says Yale University, peer health educator, Julia Strasser. Even the smartest kids in America are ignoring what many health experts believe is the correct approach to prevention of STDs.

Surveys show that teenagers and young people in their twenties are avoiding condoms and partaking in risky sexual behavior. Niko Flowers was 19, and in college when she got sick. "I found out that I had chlamydia the same time I was HIV positive" says Niko. Young adults account for just 25% of the sexually active population, but suffer from half of all sexually transmitted diseases, says Dr. Ron Valdiserri, Centers for Disease Control. "There are as many as 9 million new STDs every year in Americans between the ages of 15 and 24." The potential consequences are high, not only AIDS, but also infertility, cervical cancer, and passing infections on to a fetus. "That means that we urgently need to take steps towards prevention of sexually transmitted disease" reports Dr. Valdiserri.

This week, Yale University announced that condoms would be available all over campus, easy to access at the entranceway of every residential area. Julia Strasser is a peer health educator at Yale. "They'll just sort of be in front of you, and it's hard to not take something that's just ever present."

The problem extends down to the high school level. A recent CDC study shows only about fifty-five percent of high-school students used condoms during intercourse. Niko's work now is to talk to teens about risks and choices. "Prevention of STDs was not a part of my world because condoms were not even talked about" says Niko. Maybe that will change for students today, with efforts like the condom push at Yale. Julia Strasser is hopeful. "I think that will really help people make the safer choices."

For more information on STD prevention, click here.