Heading to college leads to new and exciting experiences. You will meet a variety of new people, learn countless new things, make more of your own choices and live on your own. In short, you have sudden, new freedom. But this newfound freedom comes with additional responsibility and serious consequences. One new responsibility involves your health. This includes routine decisions like making the appropriate appointments and taking your medications on time without being reminded.
It also includes establishing healthy habits and avoiding health risky behavior. On the other hand, college aged people are particularly prone to injury and infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to understand what STDs are, how they are communicated and how to avoid becoming infected. Note: You may also see the term STI often, which stands for sexually transmitted infection. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they do not necessarily mean the same thing.
For more information on the difference between the two meanings, you can go here. STDs are more common than you may think. According to a recent CDC report , chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are at an all-time high in the US, especially among adolescents. This is additionally worrisome because college age people are not as likely to get tested. Tragically, some sexual infections, including HPV and HSV currently cannot be cured and those who become infected deal with symptoms and increased risk of complications, such as cancer, for the rest of their lives.
Females are at particular risk because they are more likely to be infected asymptomatically and untreated infections can progress to infect the reproductive organs leading to serious illness and long-term consequences such as infertility and ectopic pregnancies. STDs are spread when an infected individual has physical contact with an uninfected person. This contact can be manual, genital or oral. It does not require the actual exchange of bodily fluids.
Common symptom of STDs include bumps, sores, or warts near the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina. Other symptoms can include painful urination, skin rash, discharge from the penis or vagina, severe itching, painful sex, and bleeding from the vagina other than during a monthly period. Because symptoms of STDs are often similar or sometimes may not have any symptoms, it is important to discuss any symptoms with a doctor and get tested regularly.
