True or False?

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic occurring outside our homes, it is important to not lose sight of other prevailing health concerns. Sexually transmitted diseases have existed essentially since human repopulation, with hints of STIs/STDs even described in age-old texts (e.g. Ebers Papyrus and the Old Testament). The medical field progressed as time passed and now we have access to treatments for most STDs or at least protocol to manage symptoms. Though despite medicine evolving, STDs are still a serious threat to humans. And personally I believe that it is from the lack of knowledge and/or care for safe sex practices…or sex in general. Adolescents and adults have adopted sex and STD preconceptions circulating within our society and its’ norms that are entirely unsafe.

In order to made this blog more interesting and more ~interactive~, I am going to focus on common preconceptions people have on STDs through a game of true or false. These preconceptions will focus primarily on transmission and prevention strategies. I will give a list of numbered statements below and you (at home, social distancing of course) will write your answers as true or false for each statement. The answers and explanations will follow after. No peeking!

1. Oral sex is not considered sex.
2. Newborns and babies can be given STIs/STDs.
3. Condoms are not effective against most STDs.
4. Social determinants of health can leave adolescents more vulnerable to acquire STIs.
5. Programs available to inform adolescents about sex can decrease STD cases.

……………………………………………………………………….

Now, the answers:

1. FALSE, a big fat false. Oral sex is sex. Particularly adolescents view oral sex practices as being a loophole from sex, when itself is an act of sexual intercourse. Many people in general believe that oral sex is safer than sex in terms of transmitting disease and therefore condom use is typically minimal. This popular belief is alarming to health professionals and should be to the public too. Oral sex is still allowing infectious sexual bodily fluids of one to penetrate the mucous membrane of another’s mouth. Therefore, you are not protected from HPV, herpes, MC, syphilis, chlamydia and more without condom use.
2. TRUE. Vertical transmission can cause newborns and babies to acquire STDs, mother-to-child. For example, HTLV-1 transmission through breast feeding and even infant mortality through STI vertical transmission of congenital syphilis, neonatal herpes, congenital HIV and more.
3. FALSE. Condoms are effective against preventing the transmission of many STDs. This ties into the first statement of this series, though condoms are effective against preventing transmission of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and much more–whether an individual is participating in heterosexual or homosexual intercourse. A study done in Amsterdam and Rotterdam gay bars with public sex venues (PSVs) revealed that when free condoms were available to bar goers by courtesy of the bars, annual STD incidence risk decreased for various STDs–especially for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
4. TRUE. A study applies the hierarchy of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) to quantify the vulnerability of adolescents to STDs. Intrinsic characteristics (gender, age, genetics), behavior/lifestyle, social and community, living and working conditions and finally environmental aspects an individual has or is exposed to were used to evaluate each subjects vulnerability. It was found in the study that the living and working condition social determinate influenced the vulnerability to acquiring a STD directly. Therefore, adolescents with unfavorable conditions surrounding them are more vulnerable to participating in unprotected sexual intercourse and further acquiring an STD.
5. TRUE. Education is a powerful thing, no matter the subject! A study protocol was released regarding a comprehensive reproductive health program for adolescent females that are vulnerable for incidence. With the proper knowledge, while addressing common taboos surrounding females in the world, they are able to recognize safer and healthier decisions regarding sex.