Just how easy is it to get an STD?

[Delirious]

I have read that 80% of young people do not know they have an STD.

That it is possible through not just sex, but any other type of sex and touching of private parts, or even the mouth of one infected.

Is this true? How easy is it to get an STD?
​

 

[Evolution.]

Usually I think it's only if another persons bodily fluid enters your body. That's how most STDs get spread.

 

[Omnis]

80% of those young people have had sex already?

That makes me feel GREAT.

 

[Evolution.]

80% of young people have had sex already?

That makes me feel GREAT.

A few guys in my grade claim to have had sex already.

I either call bull**** or stupidity. Either way, it's lose-lose for them.

 

[Delirious]

Also, how long can it take for an STD to show up if you have one?

 

[Gil]

That 80% figure sounds way too high.
There must be some other "qualifier" that you've forgotten.
For the record:
Condoms have about a 14% failure rate, to prevent pregnancy. That is if they are used correctly, and correctly placed, etc.
While pregnancy is not an STD, it is sexually transmitted. (and it goes to my next point...)
So, if a condom is only about 84% effective at preventing pregnancy (when used with no other method of birth control) and they prevent pregnancy by preventing the successful transfer of bodily fluids...
And STD are transmitted by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person...
Do the math.

However, on the positive side of the equation. HIV cannot be transmitted off of a "surface" (such as a counter or toilet seat). In fact, it is one of the least hearty of the STDs.
Of, blood borne/sexually transmitted diseases, Hepatitis is among the most hearty.
In fact, most school districts (starting in elementary school) require that all students be vaccinated (a series of 3-4 shots given over a 6-month period).
If you are wonder about my credentials, and why I know all this crap, Check my profile.

 

[CardcaptorYoshi]

Maybe it's like, 80% of young people that have an STD don't know it...

But how much of the young people actually have it in the first place?
(but, eh, heck with sex anyway, racing is my passion excuses excuses)

 

[Delirious]

I don't worry about your credentials...

How easy is it though to get an STD by oral sex for example, and how long would it take for you to find out you have an STD?

 

[Der Alta]

Maybe it's like, 80% of young people that have an STD don't know it...

But how much of the young people actually have it in the first place?
(but, eh, heck with sex anyway, racing is my passion excuses excuses)

I think this is more along the correct lines. 80% of the people that have an STD don't know they do.

If 80% of the young people have an STD and don't know, add in another few percent for those that have it and know, and a few more that have been doing the deed and aren't infected, and you're looking at 90% of the young people in this nation are having sex. A very unlikely percentage.

It doesn't suprise me that young people that have STD's don't think they do. After all, when I was that tender age (14-19) I was nigh on Invulnerable. Some of the things I did, would have killed children that age now. Riding a bike, with no helmet or pads?!?!

 

[dbartucci]

I think it varies depending on the type of disease. Watch for symptons - pain, irritation, discharges. I think the time for HIV is about 3 weeks - then go get tested.

You should note also that there need only be skin-to-skin contact for something like herpes to spread. Also crabs, which live in hair can jump in close proximities. I heard once that you can transfer a cold sore into genital herpes...don't know if it's true.

I'm no doctor or nurse though, and I don't think GTP's Rumble Strip is the best place to solicit medical advice.

 

[Omnis]

Crap, I hope I didn't start any misconceptions.

 

[Delirious]

The main question arises again...how long does it take for any given STD to make itself known unto you?

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

Depends on the STD.

My friend didn't feel the burn while peeing for almost 3 weeks after he slept with the girl. The girl didn't even know she had it, as it never showed (which is sometimes the case with girls). Chlamydia is a weird STD.

Each one is different, and shows itself in different ways and time frames (herpes comes and goes, but stays with you forever). For specifics on each one, you'd have to look them up individually.

 

[dbartucci]

Bah, fine, I'll do what you're unwilling/unable to look up for yourself.



Chlamydia - The time between exposure to chlamydia and the start of symptoms—the incubation period—may range from days to months. If symptoms appear, it is usually 1 to 3 weeks after sexual contact with an infected person.

Genital Herpes - The incubation period—the time from exposure to genital herpes until the primary outbreak of infection—is 2 to 14 days.

Genital Warts - When symptoms do develop, they usually occur 2 to 3 months after infection. However, symptoms have been known to develop from 3 weeks to many years after infection.

Gonorrhea - About half of people infected with gonorrhea don't have symptoms. The incubation period—the time from exposure to the bacteria until symptoms develop—is usually 2 to 5 days, but sometimes symptoms may not develop for up to 30 days.

Hep. B - Less than half of those with short-term (acute) hepatitis B infections have symptoms. An acute infection usually goes away on its own without treatment. Most people who develop symptoms feel better in 2 to 3 weeks and recover completely after 4 to 8 weeks.

Syphilis - During the primary stage of syphilis, a sore (chancre) that is usually painless develops at the site where the bacteria entered the body. This commonly occurs within 3 weeks of exposure but can range from 10 to 90 days.

Trichomoniasis - About 50% of women infected with trichomoniasis ("trich") and 90% of infected men do not have symptoms. If symptoms develop, they usually appear within 1 week of being infected. However, symptoms can develop from 1 to 6 months after being infected.

HIV - The incubation period—the time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when early symptoms develop—may be a few days to several weeks. These first symptoms can range from mild to severe and usually disappear on their own after 2 to 3 weeks.

Crabs - Itching may not occur right away, depending on a person's sensitivity and history of lice infestation. The first time a person is infested with lice, it may take several weeks or months for itching to develop or to be noticed. In a repeat case of lice, a person may begin to itch within 2 days of infestation because the immune system reacts more quickly when exposure has occurred previously.


Source for all - webmd.com

 

[MagpieRacer]

I went to sexual health clinic not long ago, young people should only worry about being infected if they have been with more than 1 person, and thats what the doctor said While unprotected sex isnt reccomended, as long as you dont go with 2 people and do it theres no chance whatsoever of contracting an STI.

 

[Der Alta]

I went to sexual health clinic not long ago, young people should only worry about being infected if they have been with more than 1 person, and thats what the doctor said While unprotected sex isnt reccomended, as long as you dont go with 2 people and do it theres no chance whatsoever of contracting an STI.

Unless the one person you're with already has it.

What your doctor is talking about is monogamy. One person, and that is it. For both of you. Considering the above percentages, your chances of finding someone who hasn't or is willing to be the only one, are quite slim.

Sad statistic, isn't it?

 

[Casio]

While unprotected sex isnt reccomended, as long as you dont go with 2 people and do it theres no chance whatsoever of contracting an STI.

Huh.....So if two virgins have sex, and one of them has genital warts, it's a 100% chance that the other won't get it too?

No.

 

[Omnis]

Do they make a jimmy hat for the entire area? Like... Latex underwear.



*calls patent office*

 

[throttlehappy]

A few guys in my grade claim to have had sex already.

I either call bull**** or stupidity. Either way, it's lose-lose for them.

how exactly is that lose lose?

 

[Omnis]

how exactly is it lose lose?

Poor sheep.

 

[throttlehappy]

Poor sheep.

i dont even care enough to retaliate, your 17
to funny

 

[Touring Mars]

I went to sexual health clinic not long ago, young people should only worry about being infected if they have been with more than 1 person, and thats what the doctor said While unprotected sex isnt reccomended, as long as you dont go with 2 people and do it theres no chance whatsoever of contracting an STI.

Hmmmm... are you sure that's what the doctor actually said?

It sounds like you may have misinterpreted their advice - generally speaking, if you have only ever had one sexual partner and that partner has only ever had one partner as well (i.e. you), then unless either of you have contracted an infection from some other means (i.e. a blood transfusion), then you are pretty safe - although unless you have access to your own and your partner's medical records, then you should not assume that you are completely safe....

But if you only have (and have only ever had) just one sexual partner, then you are categorically not safe from STD's unless a) you use approriate protection or b) you know exactly the whole sexual history of your partner... and in the real world, most people don't know that, hence why it is always a good idea to use barrier protection (i.e. a condom) with someone until you do know.... (even so, many people may have diseases and not know it). If your partner has had a sexual relationship with anyone else before you, then you would also need to know the whole sexual relationship of all of their previous partners too, and so on....

If that is what that doctor really actually said, then I'm very surprised because it's spectacularly bad advice and factually incorrect. But I presume that what they meant was something like above...

Also, preaching abstinence does not work... telling young people that the best way to avoid catching an STD is by not having sex is a bit like telling a lion that the best way to avoid choking on antelope bones is to not eat antelopes - arguably true, but it isn't going to help one iota. Sorry to sound blunt or crude, but human beings screw and we enjoy it - muchly. The policy of abstinence (like the 'Silver Ring' movement in the US) is fatally flawed, and it's unsafe - not least because of their absurb policy of not advocating the use of condoms. To bonk is human, period. To bonk safely requires educating people, not preaching to them and telling them that they will go to hell and/or catch AIDS if they do...

 

[dbartucci]

Agreed. The doctor must have meant that if two people are 'clean' to begin with and both are completely monogamous and neither engages in activites where diseases can be spread intravenously and then passed on sexually (like where someone contracts HIV through sharing needles for IV drug-use and then passes it to their partner) then there is very little (no) chance that either party will contract a STI.

However, if any of those conditions isn't met then your lack of precaution will almost guarantee your partner will pass the disease to you.

You can't always trust your partner to be upfront with you, because they (like 80% of young people) may not know they're infected, they might refuse to believe it and hope it'll go away on it's own, they might intentionally try to infect others (I've seen several cases where men knowingly infect women with HIV), or maybe they just don't care about the health and safety of their partner.

I guess the final possibility is how NFL QB Michael Vick infected a woman with herpes in 2001. She's now suing him.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Huh.....So if two virgins have sex, and one of them has genital warts, it's a 100% chance that the other won't get it too?

No.

If you havnt had sex or come in sexual contact with anyone it is 100% impossible to have an STD. Go down to your local doctors and ask them!

 

[dbartucci]

If you havnt had sex or come in sexual contact with anyone it is 100% impossible to have an STD. Go down to your local doctors and ask them!

I don't need to ask a doctor to know that HIV, Hepatitis, ... can be transmitted by other means than sexual contact with an infected person. To deny that possibility is either naïve or foolish.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Im not denying it, i know they can be caught from other means. When i said it i did mean it from the point of view of the 2 people being clean to start with and not participating in activities where one could catch something, like you said needle sharing etc. As i have only been with one person (and still am with that person) we havnt been with anyone else, dont do drugs etc etc we are both 100% safe.

Im not denying that you can catch them through other means im just saynig if 2 people are clean they have nothing to worry about. Unless they go with another person (i.e. 1 person going with 2 people has more chance of 2 virgins having it with only eachother).

Hope that clears up what i was trying to say.

 

[Touring Mars]

If you havnt had sex or come in sexual contact with anyone it is 100% impossible to have an STD. Go down to your local doctors and ask them!

You have to realise that the term "sexually transmitted disease" just means a disease which can be passed on by having sex. The same diseases that can be called STD's can also be spread by other means. AIDS is a perfect example. AIDS was wide-spread among heroin addicts if they shared needles (the problem was tackled by supplying heroin addicts with free, clean needles so they didn't have to use dirty ones....) AIDS is also transmittable by having sex (making it an STD) but you don't need to have sex to catch AIDS. The point is, you can have AIDS (an STD) and be a virgin - therefore, mutual virginity does not mean 100% safety...

edit: just read your latest post and I agree with that - and it's pretty much what I've just said too.... but factually your original statement in Post #15 and the above statement are wrong (without further qualification).. only once you know a person well can you 'assume' that you're safe...

You can see how it is easy for people to get the wrong end of the stick about stuff that is as important as sexual health... that's why you need to be clear with your language and be specific, otherwise misinterpretations occur and myths are born....

 

[Omnis]

You have to realise that the term "sexually transmitted disease" just means a disease which can be passed on by having sex.

Like a bad case of The Hornies. 💡

 

[dbartucci]

Im not denying it, i know they can be caught from other means. When i said it i did mean it from the point of view of the 2 people being clean to start with and not participating in activities where one could catch something, like you said needle sharing etc. As i have only been with one person (and still am with that person) we havnt been with anyone else, dont do drugs etc etc we are both 100% safe.

Im not denying that you can catch them through other means im just saynig if 2 people are clean they have nothing to worry about. Unless they go with another person (i.e. 1 person going with 2 people has more chance of 2 virgins having it with only eachother).

Hope that clears up what i was trying to say.

Agreed, but without trying to offend you, that statement is obvious, no?
If Y was something that necessarily required X to be able to do it and only X can cause Y - you don't do X, then it logically follows that you can't do Y.

So you can put whatever you want in for Y - say fall off a roof of a building; and X is something like go to the roof of a building. It becomes obvious that you can't fall of a roof if you don't go on roofs. Similarly, you can't get STIs if you're not having sexual contact (if, for the sake of the argument we assume that sexual contact is the only manner such a disease can be passed on).

Nevertheless, both statements are true and I concede your point, with the caveats you've added and it seems that you, TM and I are all saying the exact same thing.

 

[Duke]

Im not denying that you can catch them through other means im just saynig if 2 people are clean they have nothing to worry about. Unless they go with another person (i.e. 1 person going with 2 people has more chance of 2 virgins having it with only eachother).

You never have nothing to worry about.

A cold sore is caused by herpes simplex. Get a cold sore somewhere, and you now have herpes. If you touch your mouth, then touch your genitals, guess what - you now have genital herpes and can pass it on to your partner. Even if you were both 100% clean and 100% monogamous with each other, you've contracted an STD.