A sexually transmitted disease is a disease that is contracted through sexual exposure. It is possible that if you have been sexually active at all, you could be at risk of having an STD. Below is more information about these diseases.

Is there really that big of a risk for me to get an STD?

STDs accounted for 87 percent of all cases among the top ten most frequently reported infections in the U.S. during 1997. Five of the 10 reportable infectious disease in 1997 were either exclusively or largely transmitted during sex, including the top four (chlamydia, gonorreah, AIDS, and syphillis).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of Notifiable Disease, US 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;47(53);1-93.

How many people are infected with an STD?

In the United States it is estimated that there are more than 68 million current STDs. Each year, 15.3 million new STD infections occur, including over 3 million infections in teens. The two most common STDs, herpes and human papilloma virus (HPV), account for 65 of the 68 million current infections. It is estimated that 20 percent of all Americans age 12 years and older are infected with genital herpes.

HIV / AIDS
20,000+ new cases annually

Chlamydia
3,000,000+ new cases annually

Gonorrhea
650,000+ new cases annually

Syphilis
70,000+ new cases annually

Herpes II
1,000,000+ new cases annually ( 1 in 5 Americans 12 years old and older are infected)

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
5.5 million+ new cases annually

PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)
261,000+ new cases annually

An estimated 15 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year, 67% are among women and men under the age of 25. (According to The Medical Institute for Sexual Health)

FYI :
Condoms DO NOT provide complete protection from STD's. Infection can occur in both males and females whether or not a condom is used. Any kind of genital contact can spread STD's.  This means genitals to genitals, genitals to hands, and genitals to mouth.
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If you think you can't get any of these STD's, think again... !  How do you KNOW your partner does not have an STD? 80% of the infected don't know they have it!


Source: American Social Health Association. Sexually Transmitted Disease in America: How Many Cases and What Cost? Menlo Park, Calif.: Kaiser Family Foundation; 1998.

Source: Fleming, D, et al. Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in the united States, 1976-1994. N Engl J med. 1997;337(16): 1105-1111