Super STD’s

BY MIA HAYNES – Let’s Talk Sex: Sexually Transmitted and Drug-Resistant

Most colleges all across the country require students to take classes like Physical Education, First-Year Seminars, or introductory humanities courses such as Introduction to Psychology or Library Tours. These classes are useful in their own respect, but there is one course you will rarely see as a three-credit requirement and that’s sexual education. This oversight is causing problems for young adults that Aristotle or weight training can’t solve. It is the wide and overwhelming assumption that “everyone is having sex in college.” If this is a true statement; why aren’t we talking about it? 

Imagine being a freshman in a large public university system, completely unaware of what college is really about, excited about the freedoms and liberating experiences to come, but ignorant of the consequences of “living your best life.” If sex programs were mandatory around freshman year of college, it would most likely prevent a lot of the risky sexual acts and performances that young males and females partake in. 

Realistically speaking, more often than not, college students rarely ever confide in their parents or guardians about anything beyond academics. Although there is a small group of individuals who have open and honest relationships with their parents/guardians, it is more often heard that students never openly discuss their social activities that include drinking, sex, and partying because the vast majority, especially in the South, are taught to practice abstinence, focus on making A’s, and not to partake in risky behaviors such as partying. But the fact of the matter is that some students do the complete opposite and because of these behaviors, we now have increased growth of STDs in college-aged students. And yes, schools like UGA have programs, advertisements, and pamphlets about promoting healthy habits, but by the time a student decides to go to the health center, they are often already sick or infected. 

Did you know the most common STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia have become labeled as “super drug-resistant?” Everyone who is sexually active can contract gonorrhea, but young adults are at particularly high risk. Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and around the world, and rates of infection continue to increase. A lot of students are aware of common STDs and STIs but have little to no knowledge of the implications of these infections and diseases. Did you know that gonorrhea can infect the genitals, rectum, and throat from unprotected sexual contact with the mouth, penis, vagina, or anus of an infected partner? It is the assumption that if you are wearing a condom there is no need for concern of infection when in actuality, some STDs are so infectious that penetration of any kind is not the only method to spread disease.

In the US, men between the ages of 20-24 have the highest rates of infection of any age or gender group. Women between the ages of 20-24 are also at high risk compared to women of other ages. Based on demographics, women are more likely to make a visit to a doctor than men, which leads to the overwhelming rise of STDs.  This is not to blame men, but this is becoming a public health concern. 

The moral of the story is, even if you aren’t experiencing noticeable signs and symptoms, male or female, you should still get regular STI/STD screenings with every new partner.

Photography Source: https://everythingwellness.com/kchdwv/programs/std-prevention-treatment/