Private MD News

Lack of knowledge may contribute to spread of STDs

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Rates of some sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. Experts say that the only way to combat the problem is to inform young people about their risk. This may encourage them to practice safer sex and seek STD testing if they are sexually active.

Unfortunately, many young people have not been educated about the dangers of STDs. This puts them at a greater risk of contracting an infection, Mark Wilson, manager of adult health services programs for Tarrant County Public Health, told the Star-Telegram.

"The fear that lived in everyone for STDs and HIV back in the 1990s and early 2000s doesn't exist today," he told the news source. "The youth coming up have no idea that thousands of people died. To them, it's just another STD. They are brand new to the adult population, and they have no clue. That's why we need to get them informed as quickly as possible."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that about 20 percent of the more than 1 million living with HIV are unaware that they are infected. This is why it is so important for sexually active individuals to seek STD testing.