Sexually transmitted infections are more common and widespread than you might think.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25 percent of college students have an STI — and nearly half of the 20 million new STIs diagnosed each year in the United States are found in individuals between 15-24 years old. More than $16 billion is spent curing STIs annually in the United States. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, and chlamydia have the highest rate of new infections in the United States, with the majority of new STI cases coming from HPV — notable especially because severe cases of HPV can lead to cervical cancer.

Today, more than ever, there are ample opportunities to stay educated about these infections, receive treatment or get tested. But somehow, the stigma of having an STI and the thought of “it can’t happen to me” still pervades.

The easiest way to prevent STIs — in stark contrast to college hook-up culture — is to abstain from sexual activity.

Latex condoms can help prevent some STIs, including gonorrhea and chlamydia, as well as the transmission of HIV, and can reduce the risk of HPV and herpes. But anyone who engages in sexual activity is susceptible to an STI. Unfortunately, many symptoms, especially early on, do not appear or can be confused with something else.

Having sex with multiple partners and having unprotected sex should be immediate grounds to consider getting tested. If you think you could have an STI or would like to have a test, there are some simple steps to take.

First and foremost, always talk to your partner. Never be nervous to ask about STIs — your health and your body are yours to nurture and protect. And anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable or bad about that is a giant red flag.

To get tested, schedule an appointment at Syracuse University Health Services or at any of the hospitals or family clinics in the area. Nearly every medical clinic offers STI testing or will point you in the right direction. Clinics provide accurate and comprehensive tests; at-home STI tests are often incorrect, especially given mishandling (you’d have to send the results to a lab anyway), and only recently has the FDA approved certain at-home tests, including an oral HIV test.

But most importantly, be honest and open with your sexual partners. With millions of cases each year — only 1.1 million cases are actually reported, though many more are transmitted — STIs are a dangerous health concern that are incredibly easy to prevent. Taking care of your body and those around you in an effort to curb the transmission of STIs is smart, responsible and mature. There are more than 110 million cases of STIs in the United States alone.

Some go away and many are treatable. Some are lifelong.

Exploring your sexuality and enjoying the company of others can be a fun, engaging and healthy experience. But it’s important to remember some ramifications of having many partners. To maintain that kind of sexual behavior, students need to be responsible for their actions and their health.

If you are sexually active, the Center for Disease Control recommends the following:

1. All adults and adolescents should be tested at least once for HIV.
2. Annual Chlamydia screenings are advised for all sexually active women age 25 and under, as well as older women with risk factors (new, multiple sex partners).
3. Yearly gonorrhea screening should be administered for at-risk sexually active women (new/multiple partners, community factors).
4. Pregnant women should be screened for Syphilis, HIV, Chlamydia and hepatitis B, and at-risk pregnant women for gonorrhea, at the fist prenatal visit to protect mother and fetus.
5. Trichomoniasis screenings should be conducted at least annually for all HIV-infected women.
6. All sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men should be screened at least once a year for syphilis, Chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Men who have multiple or anonymous partners should get tested more frequently, as well as those who use illegal drugs.

Jillian is a magazine, newspaper and online journalism graduate student. No glove, no love. Her column appears every Wednesday in Pulp. Email her at jathaw@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter @jathaw.

Published on November 20, 2013 at 12:22 am