Maria Hemlock, AGNP

Viral hepatitis B, which is primarily sexually transmitted, and viral hep C, which is less commonly an STD but can be transmitted sexually, can cause liver cancer. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a health problem unto itself, but the increasing use of PrEP and better understanding of HIV prevention helped HIV infection rates drop over the past several years. Syphilis, including congenital syphilis, is easily treated and cured in most cases, but babies who aren’t treated as soon as possible after birth have a higher risk of death, as well as other health complications, some of which may be untreatable: Multiple STDs can attack organs in the body, disrupting their function in the short term and causing them to fail completely in the long term. This includes viral STDs, such as HIV and hepatitis, both of which can attack and damage the kidneys and liver, and bacterial STDs, including syphilis, which can attack a host of organs, including the eyes, heart and brain.

In only 20 states does law mandate that sex ed be factually and medically accurate, but even those states don’t have consistent rules about what that means, and most states allow parents to keep their children out of sex ed. Consistent use of condoms, especially among high-risk groups, such as people with many new sexual partners as well as gay and bisexual men, is one of the best ways to dramatically reduce the risk of contracting STDs. Gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men, have higher rates of primary and secondary syphilis and drug-resistant gonorrhea than men who have sex with women only, and these men accounted for about 2 in 3 primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2018. In cities and states across the country, dozens of free and low-cost health clinics that provide a range of health services, including testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, have been forced to cut back their services or shutter entirely in the wake of state and federal cuts to public health funding.

Young people are at a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases and infections for a variety of reasons, but the facts behind their risk level can’t be denied: * About 62% of all new chlamydia infections were in people between 15 and 24. The only way to completely eliminate the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease is a simple one, though may feel like it’s easier said than done: Don’t have sex or sexual contact with anybody. Even the most responsible person who has established good sexual habits can make poor decisions when drunk or high, and young people who use drugs or alcohol also have a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. In fact, according to CDC data, about 19% of young people who are sexually active drank or got high before they had sex, which can make them more likely to make poor choices when it comes to sexual partners as well as making it less likely they’ll use condoms or other protection.

Many different factors play into creating your vagina’s normal scent, including your lifestyle, health and diet, but if your vagina is producing discharge with a distinct fishy odor, one of two common infections is the most likely culprit — bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis, or trich. Bacterial vaginosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the most common cause of vaginal discharge and related symptoms for younger women who may be more likely to have multiple sexual partners. However, because trich is easily spread during sex and can infect both men and women, it’s important for sexual partners to get tested and treated. While BV and trich are the most common culprits when it comes to a strong fishy odor and discolored discharge, other causes of vaginal discharge include: