Vaccines

All moms deserve the kind of quality, affordable care that I was lucky enough to receive while pregnant and postpartum, and Obamacare is working to make that dream a reality.

Follow Jessica Arons on Twitter, @jrarons

Have you ever wondered how epidemics are controlled? Well, you can thank your local DIS for that.

It is easy to overlook seniors when we see the dire numbers around STIs and teens, yet we remain at risk for sexually transmitted infections as we age. 

Sometimes I wonder if we are not missing the larger picture. Perhaps instead of talking about preventing STDs and treating an illness, maybe we could talk in terms of promoting sexual health.

We need to make sure that young people are getting tested if they have had unprotected sex, getting educated, and using the tools and resources available to them to prevent both STD transmission and unintended pregnancy. 

STIs affect people of all races, ages, and sexual orientations, though some individuals experience greater challenges in protecting their health. When individual risk behaviors are combined with barriers to quality health information and STI prevention services, the risk of infection increases. Increasing access to testing is key.

To confront the most often-repeated misrepresentations, I ask readers to consider these ten assertions about sexual health and education in the United States.

To ensure quality sexual and reproductive health and address economic burdens, continued efforts to educate, screen, test, and treat for STDs is critical to our nation’s public health and well-being.

One in two sexually active people will get an STD by age 25, but most won’t even know it.  Just as abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy, the only way to be sure of your STD status is to get tested. April is the time to do it—STD Awareness Month.