Sex

Why Do Kids Have Sex? What they say....

"I want to be popular."
"I'm bored."
"All my friends do it."
"My girlfriend says she wants me."
We were so drunk, I couldn't help it!"
"I want to be like the other guys on the team."
"I want to have a baby of my very own to love and to need me."
"It's fun, man."
"My boyfriend says he'll dump me if I don't."
"To prove I'm grownup enough."
"Why not?"
"It's the natural thing to do on a date."
My parents don't like my boyfriend."

Why Are Kids Waiting for Marriage?

"I want my first time to be special."
"I don't want to be responsible for a kid."
"My parents trust me."
"I don't want to get some disease, like herpes."
"Girls are trouble, man."
"It's totally against my values and my religion."
"If I had a baby, I couldn't go to college."
"My folks would kill me."
"I want our wedding night to be the first for both of us."

Sexually Transmitted Infections & Sexually Transmitted Diseases

STD's are transmitted through sexual contact. Some authorities are now referring to STD's as STI's, Sexually Transmitted Infections. Complications range from recurring bouts with symptoms to leading to other diseases such as AIDS or sterilization.

Name	Description	Complication/Comment
Viral STD's
Genital Herpes	Painful, highly contagious symptoms (within 2-30 days); itching or burning in genitals or mouth followed by blisters, flu-like symptoms.	Incurable (symptoms can be treated). Highly contagious (vaginal, anal, oral sexual activity or mother to child at birth).
Hepatitis B Virus	Through contact with body fluids (usually sexual contact). Symptoms may not be visible or may include: tiredness, flu-like symptom, aching muscles/joints, jaundice.	Liver damage. Usually incurable.
HPV (Human Papilloma virus)	Most common viral STD Causes warts on sex organs or mucous membranes Contracted by genital, anal, oral sexual contact; mother to child at birth; possibly by hand-to-genital contact. Symptoms: small bumps on sex organs that may develop into large cauliflower-like growths.	100 strains of HPVCauses cancer in men and women, especially cervical cancer. Children born to women with HPV may develop warts in trachea or windpipe, possibly causing breathing problems. Condoms do not provide protection.
HIV / AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)	Contact with semen, vaginal fluids, blood of infected person, also mother to child through childbirth and breastfeeding. Symptoms may not appear for months or years; flu-like, weight loss, white spots in mouth, purple spots on skin, recurring yeast infections for women.	HIV is cause of deadly AIDS. Incurable, treat symptoms and resulting diseases as result of damaged immune system. Passed to children of infected mothers if mother is not treated before delivery.
Bacterial STD's
Chlamydia	Most common bacterial STD, often with no visible symptoms especially in women. Symptoms can include discharge from vagina, itching/ burning in genital area. It is transmitted by vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact or mother to child at birth.	Can lead to other serious infections. Can cause sterility. Can cause ectopic pregnancy. Curable.
Gonorrhea	One of the top 4 reportable infectious diseases in U.S. Transmitted through vaginal, anal, oral sexual contact or mother to child at birth. Symptoms: none, vaginal discharge, burning urination or bowel movements, cramps, abnormal bleeding between periods.	Can lead to more serious infections, damaging reproductive organs. Can cause sterility. Can cause heart trouble, skin disease, arthritis, blindness. Infected babies are at risk for meningitis, infections of bloodstream or joints, and blindness.
Syphilis	Transmitted through vaginal, anal, oral sex or from mother to child during pregnancy. Symptoms often mistaken for other, less serious illnesses. If not treated progresses from painless sores on mouth, sex organs, breasts, fingers (1-12 weeks) through rash and flu-like symptoms (106 months after sores heal) to (years later) brain, spinal cord, and heart damage.	Treatable Babies of mothers with untreated syphilis may be born blind, deaf, or crippled by bone disease or may be stillborn or die shortly after birth. .