Campus Safari, #3

" Taking Precautions" 

Starting college is a huge step, and it can take a major toll on your body as well. Here are some interesting yet disturbing facts you should know about maintaining your health and keeping yourself safe, not only in college, but throughout your entire life.

Did you know...?

• 6.2 million Americans get infected with HPV (the virus that can cause genital warts) each year.
• Teenage girls who have unprotected sex are more likely than adult women to get gonorrhea and chlamydia because these STD's more easily infect the immature cervix.
• Only latex condoms offer substantial protection against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
• If the herpes virus comes into contact with the eyes it can cause blindness.
• 1 out of 2 sexually active people will get an STD by age 25.
• Manufacturers say that 12% of the 15% condom failure rate is due to not using the condom correctly/
• Even though poorer brands have been shown to leak minute amounts of virus- sized particles in laboratory studies, reasearchers conclude that using any kind of condom is at least 10,000 times better than not using a condom at all.
• 75% of women and almost 50% of men with chlamydia never have symptoms
• In a 2003 study, 73% of sexually active college students had had unprotected sex, and 68% didnt believe they were at risk for an STD.
• Trichomoniasis ("trich") is the most common curable STD in young women.
• 88% of new STD cases in people ages 15 to 24 are caused by HPV, trichomoniasis and chlamydia.
• The female condom can be inserted long before intercourse and helps protect against STD's, including HIV.
• Studies show that as young men become more sexually active, they use condoms less.
• More than 300,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2004. This is a 15% decline from 2000.
• 1 in 20 Americans will get hepatitis B during their lifetimes.
• Japanese condoms have a reputation for high quality because they are individually tested. Japanese-brand condoms are also quite thin and are thought to allow a lot of sensitivity.
• Less then 33% of U.S. doctors routinely test patients for STD.
• Syphilis has been called "the great imitator" because its symtoms resemble those of many other diseases.
• 3 times more women than men are diagnosed with chlamydia.
• using condoms during pregnancy may decrease the chances of intrauterine infections that can lead to miscarriage.
• 5,000,000,000: the estimated number of condoms used every year worldwide.
• Hepatitis B and HPV are the only 2 STDs that have a preventive vaccine.
• By 2025, it's estimated that 40% of menand 50% of women in the U.S. will have genital herpes.
• Condoms are the third most widely used form of birth control in the U.S, after female sterilization and the pill.
• 20% of females between 15 and 19 say alcohal is the main reason they first had sex.

Although some of these facts can be very scary, they are very true. Dont put yourself at risk. Take all the precautions to keep yourself safe. To find out more information about proctecting yourself, visit the SCSU health center. Dont be ashamed when it comes to your safety.

Be *Smart, Be *Safe, Stay *Healthy!

For more infor visit:

http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/