Spring Break
Increases seen in female STD infections
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http://www.ci-baltimore.md.us)" SRC="http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper932/thumbs/t_40884fbd68289-82-1.jpg" target=new>Women today have the upper hand in relationships. In college, the majority of women use this time to "test the waters" and see what potential candidates are out there to make a match with them. Sometimes this means that many women will have multiple relationships throughout their young adult life.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among college women is also on the rise, due to their sexual practices and the popularity of birth control today, both in the hormonal and barrier forms.
A woman's anatomy makes her more susceptible to STDs. Additionally, college age women raise their risks of contracting an STD because of their sexual practices. Binge drinking, peer pressure, parties, serial monogamy dating, one night stands, unprotected and unplanned sexual intercourse all contribute to increased chances of contracting and STD.
Dr. Katherine Stone, a medical epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control, claims that women are more vulnerable to contract an STD because of the different makeup of the tissue for males and females. She observes that women have a more pliable and porous tissue within the vagina, much like the inside of a mouth. Penile tissue, however, is tougher and less porous, much like tissue on hands.
Furthermore, seminal fluid can last for an additional three days within the vagina after sexual intercourse. Infected semen thus has a higher chance of infecting a woman.
Dr. Kimberly Yarnall of the Duke University Medical Center conducted a study of 1,210 women between the ages of 18 to 25.
STDs can increase the risk of infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, stillbirths, fertility problems and chronic pain in women. HPV is the main carrier of cervical cancer in women.
According to Rebecca Wind of the Alan Guttmacher Institute for Sexual Health Research, about 75 percent of men in their 20's are sexually active, and the majority of them do not get tested for STDs. Only about 14 percent of college age men are tested every year. One junior male said, "I don't get tested because I use protection every time."
Since many college men will have more than one partner, this low statistic raises the chances for college women to contract an STD.
Still, regular and conscious use of protection such as condoms help decrease the risk for many STDs significantly. This uncertainty still raises qualms for many college women, however. A freshman female commented that she'd rather "be safe than sorry - I would only sleep with someone who I knew really well if he hadn't been tested yet."
The most common STDs on college campuses are chlamydia, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), genital warts and genital herpes.
General symptoms for any disorders in women include pus-like, green or yellow discharge, often accompanied by a foul smell. Itchiness and burning of the genitalia is also common. This is a sign for both men and women. Burning during urination and abdominal pain are also presented by both sexes.
Chlamydia is found on average to be asymptomatic in five percent of college students, thus it can be difficult to suspect an STD, and spreading the infection is more common.
However, one of the more serious consequences of chlamydia is that it decreases a woman's fertility because the infection causes Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which scars the uterus, makes ovulation problematic and increases the chances for an ectopic pregnancy.
Many STDs can be treated with a routine administration of antibiotics. Chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea are all bacterial infections that are treatable with antibiotics.
They all become a severe problem when left untreated. Chlamydia renders infertility in both men and women, syphilis can cause neurological problems, and gonorrhea is also a mostly asymptomatic disease in women that can be painful for men.
Other forms of STDs are viral. Herpes, HPV, Hepatitis and HIV/AIDs are all viral infections that cannot be treated with routine antibiotics. However, there are suppressant drugs for Herpes and Hepatitis. HIV/ AIDs is more serious and has been linked with a long history of stigma.
Psychological factors can play into whether one is willing to be tested. Fear of discovering that they could have contracted something after cheating on a significant other is a large factor in people's unwillingness to be tested.
However, the Health and Wellness Center on campus offers free and confidential STD testing. The center also provides free condoms. These services should be taken advantage of. Hopkins' p roactive attitude towards sexual practices on campus should be spread to other campuses if not instituted yet. Further education will also help decrease the occurrences of STDs on campuses nationwide.
