Problem/SolutionPaper

AndersLong
Block2
Warneke

STDsarestillaproblem?

Astudyfrom2008concludedthatatleasthalfofteenagegirlsresidingintheUnited
Statesaresexuallyactive,and25%ofteenagegirlshaveasexuallytransmitteddisease
(Witherbee).Thisstatisticmayseemsurprisingtomanypeople,aswellastroublesometothe
vastmajorityofpeople.Withoutproperprotectionthisstatisticwillcontinuetogrow
exponentially.TherearetwoidealwaysofavoidingthisgrowingproblemCondomsand
Abstinence.Therearemultiplestatisticsshowingthatcorrectuseofcondomsandmaintaining
abstinenceleadtofewercasesofSTDs.Throughouthistorythishasbeenahottopic,hereare
somewaysofpreventingthisepidemic.
Oneofthemostreoccurringproblemsintoday'snewshastodowithsexuallytransmitted
diseasesandtheeffectsthattheyhaveonanindividual'sbody.Thisproblemisclearlystated
throughmultiplestatisticssuchasA2008studyfoundthatatleasthalfofallteengirlsinthe
UnitedStatesaresexuallyactiveandoneineveryfourisinfectedwithasexuallytransmitted
disease(Witherbee).Anothertroublingstatisticthatbringstheproblemtoaheadis
The
UnitedStateshasthehighestratesofteenpregnancyandsexuallytransmitteddiseasesinthe
developedworld.(StokelyandMcMahon).
Whatthesestatsshowthereaderisthatthisisnota
minuteproblemthatcanbesolvedwithlittleornobarrierstopreventSTDs.Thereason
sexuallytransmitteddiseasesarespreadinglikewildfireisduetoirrationalchoicesduringan
individual'steenoryoungadolescentlife,ThisismostclearlysaidthroughDeborahLee
Does

sexualactivitytakeplaceafteracalm,rationalconsiderationofthepossibleconsequencesorin
the"heatofthemoment"?(Lee).Sexuallytransmitteddiseasesarealsoverydangeroustoan
individual'sbody,thiscanbeeitherwarts,rashes,bumps,abdominalpain,bodilydischarge,
fever,andheadache.
Sexuallytransmitteddiseasesalsocausementalandphysicalstressdueto
itbeinglifechanging,thisismostclearlystatedbyNancySpragueSex,likedrivingacar,can
beadangerousactivity.Thenegativephysicalandemotionalramificationsofriskysexual
intercoursecanresultinlifealteringandenduringdiseasesthatcanadverselyaffectapersonhis
orherentirelifetime.(RichandSprague).NotonlydoesthiscausestressbutSTDsalso
spreadsveryquicklythroughouttheUnitedStatesandtheworld.Alone40millionpeoplehave
contractedHIV/AIDS,and2.5millionofthosearechildren.Anestimated5millionpeople
worldwidecontractedHIV/AIDSduring2006along,and3millionmorediedofthedisease.
(Witherbee).Thisstatisticisverytroublesometomanyindividualsincludingmyselfduetoits
largeproportions,butthereisawaytocombatthisdilemma.
Thefirstwaytosolvethisexpandingepidemic,istodistributeormakecondoms
accessibleforareasonableprice.Condomsarethemostefficientwaytoblocksexually
transmitteddiseaseswhilehavingsex.Bywearingprotectionwhilehavingsex,individualsnot
onlyblocksexuallytransmitteddiseases,buttheyalsominimisethechanceofunwanted
pregnancybyaverylargemargin.ThisfactisclearlystatedthroughthewordsofMrs.Sprague
Condomsarenotmerelyaneffectivemethodofpreventingthespreadofdiseaseduringsexuall
intercourse.Theyarecurrentlytheonlywayofpreventingthespreadofsexuallytransmitted
diseasesandinfections.Condomsarealsohighlyeffectivewitha85percentrateofefficacy,
thisisshownthroughthestudydonebyAmyWitherbeeStudiesinvolvingsexuallyactive

couplesinwhichonepartnerisHIVpositiveandtheotherisnotshowconclusivelythat
condomscanpreventthespreadofthediseaseconsistentlyandoveralongperiodtime.
DistributingcondomsdoesnotneedtobeahugeordealintheUnitedStatesduetotheamountof
peoplethatalreadywearcondomsduringsex.Toincreasethenumbersofcondomsinareasof
highSTDrates,gasstationsorhightrafficbuildingsisthebestwaytodistribute,because
individualsarealreadycomingtothatareatobuyotherproducts.Sellingthesecondomsata
discountpricewouldalsomakeiteasierforsomeindividualstobuycondomsaregularbasis.
Theproblemwithcondomsisthatitcannotbeforceduponanindividual,itisentirelyupon
themtotaketheinitiativeandwearcondomsduringsex.Despiteallofthepositivestatisticsthat
correlatewithcondoms,someindividualsbelievethathavingacondomonwhilehavingsexis
notnaturalorasstimulatingasnotbeingprotected.Thiscorrelatestothenextsolutionof
avoidingSTDs.
Maintainingabstinenceisonehundredpercenteffectiveduetothefactthattheindividual
isnotsexuallyactive,thusnottransmittingthedisease.Bymaintainingabstinent,theindividual
doesnotreceiveanysexuallytransmitteddiseasesandifanindividualweretohaveaSTD,they
wouldnottransmitthediseasetosomeoneelse.Sexedclassesteachthatmaintainingabstinence
andusingcondomsleadstolesssexualactivityandlesschanceofcontractingaSTD.Jill
Ginsburgdescribeshowtheteachingofabstinenceinsexedhasleadtoadecreaseinsexual
activityFromtheperspectiveofabstinenceonlyeducationadvocates,safesexteachingsare
largelyresponsibleforanepidemicofSTDsamongyoungpeople.Atthesametime,theypoint
toadropinthenumberofteenpregnanciesduringtheyearsabstinenceprogramshavebeenin
placeasevidenceoftheprogramseffectivenessinshapingadolescentsexualvaluesand

behavior(Ballaro).Whenchildrenandteensarelearningaboutabstinenceintheirsexed
classes,theytakeituponthemselvestonothavesex.Thisisnotalwaysthecaseforsome
individuals,someteenagersfeelthattheywanttofitintosocietyandbesexuallyactive,butthis
canleadtounwantedpregnanciesandorsexuallytransmitteddiseases.Thedrawbackof
maintainingabstinenceisnotexperiencingsex,whichsomeindividualsfindtobedifficultfor
themduetothepleasureortheyaresexuallyactivewithapartner.
SexuallytransmitteddiseasesareoneofthemosttalkedaboutproblemsintheUnited
States,forgoodreason.Weasasocietyneedtotakethisdilemmauponourselves,totrytoslow
downthetransmittingoftheseawfuldiseasesthatcauseusmentalandphysicalstress.Wecan
dothistwowaysCondomsorAbstinence.Bothareidealwhenitcomestopreventingthe
transmissionofsexualdiseasestootherindividuals.Somepeoplethinkthatsexuallytransmitted
diseasesarenotrelevanttotheireverydaylives,somemayfeelthisway,butfor40million
peopleworldwidethathavecontractedHIV,thisistheirlife.Iquestionthepeoplewhodofeelit
doesapplytothem,howwouldyoufeelifyouoroneofyourfamilymemberscontracteda
STD?

WorksCited
Ballaro,Beverly,andAnnGriswold."CondomDistribution:AnOverview."
PointsOfView:
CondomDistribution
(2015):1.
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Ballaro,Beverly,andJillGinsburg."AbstinenceEducation:AnOverview."
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(2015):1.
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Lee,Deborah,andMaureenMcMahon."Counterpoint:SexEducationPromotesUnderstanding
AndSafety."
PointsOfView:AbstinenceEducation
(2015):3.
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Center
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Rich,AlexK.,andNancySprague."Point:CondomsSaveLivesAndShouldBeFreely
Distributed."
PointsOfView:CondomDistribution
(2015):2.
PointsofViewReference
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Stokely,Anne,andMaureenMcMahon."Counterpoint:SexEducationShouldBeAHigh
PriorityInSchools."
PointsOfView:SexEducationInSchools
(2015):3.
PointsofView
ReferenceCenter
.Web.1Dec.2015.
Witherbee,Amy."Point:SavingLivesAnyWayWeCan."
PointsOfView:Condom
Distribution
(2015):5.
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.Web.1Dec.2015.