Why do people get infected by sexually transmitted diseases?

Lack of awareness: Will anyone consume poison if knows that death is certain if he consumes poison? Definitly not. Likewise if message is spread about the dangers of unsafe sex, I am sure nobody would risk his life. If young generation is informed the consequences of unprotected sex, taught with audio-visual aids about the mental agony they have to face due to catching infections from a person, suffering from STD's, and health problems not they themselves but their near and dear ones, at least 90 percent of them will not opt for sex without care. This is cent percent true for poor and developing countries if not in totality for developed countries.Once a person is infected by a sex disease, he or she has to bear with following disorders.

1. Skin problems: skin allergies, dermatitis, eczema etc.

2. Nervous disorders: Nausea, weakening of memory, loss of concentration etc.

3. Hair problems: Hair loss, baldness, wrinkles etc.

4. Other problems: Squainting in children, skin diseases and several homone related problems

5. Death

One can understand if people in countries like India, Bengla desh, Pakistan, Nepal, some african countries are infected in large numbers from sexually transmitted diseases due to prevalent illiteracy but statistics given below may surprise many that a huge population in advanced countries like USA are also suffering from these dreaded diseases.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: US STATISTICS

Number of new syphilis cases: 33,401 (2004)

New syphilis cases per 100,000 population: 11.5 (2004)

Number of new chlamydia cases: 929,462 (2004)

New chlamydia cases per 100,000 population: 319.6 (2004)

Number of new gonorrhea cases: 330,132 (2004)

New gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population:113.5 (2004)

Source: Health United States: 2006

These figures are for most developed and most powerful country in the world.

When this is the situation in a most advanced country, what you can imagine for a poor or developing country. Where number of literate people is less than the illiterate. Where there is less means of entertainment. People rely mostly on sex for entertainment. In a study conducted by the MAC AIDS Fund, many Indians cite a lack of access to information on HIV/AIDS and how it is contracted. The Study also showed that 65 percent of Indians report stigma and shame to be major contributing factors and barriers to overcoming the epidemic.Should not they be educated about the dangers of unprotected sex by including sex education in primary or secondary schools, or through multi-media or visual aids. Mass communication campaigns need to be launched among sex workers, youngsters consuming drugs and vulnerable sections such as truck drivers and migrant laborers may show positive results in terms of an increasing awareness.

Year 2007:

• Globally 2.5 million new HIV infections are estimated, an average of > 6,800 new infections each day

• 2.1 million people died of AIDS globally

• An estimated 1.7 million new HIV infections in sub- Sahara Africa

Source: Report released by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS and the World Health Organization.

2.5 million people living with HIV in India, global figures stand at 33.2 million

Unnatural sex practices like homosexuality is prevalent among rural and urban youths and eununchs and these groups are high risk groups as far as AIDS and STD's are concerned.

A dissemination workshop on HIV and AIDS care and prevention program for the rural and tribal youth identified the fact that

• 1.3 lakh of the 6.5 lakh such people in Rajasthan identified s a high-risk group

• Social stigma attached to unnatural sexual practices had made homosexuals and eununchs “hidden and difficult to access”. Since their spouses and sexual partners are vulnerable to HIV infection, an extra attention to them is a public health necessity. Sex education, thus becomes very important atleast at primary level.

In brief, sex education refers to classroom lessons about sex in primary and secondary schools. Sex education may be considered by many as the responsibility of the parents to educate their children about the consequences of under age or unsafe sex but certain inhibitions in conservative societies between parent and child may become an obstacle in imparting sex education to children by the parents.