20 Nov What movies and sit-coms leave out when it comes to sex
There is little left to the imagination in most movies or television shows when it comes to sex. But STDs get little or no airtime. Sexually transmitted diseases are like the “he-who-must-not-be-named” character who never appears on screen.
This isn’t surprising. STDs don’t have any positive qualities. They are not like an unplanned pregnancy that may be poorly timed and challenging to deal with, but results in a small human being, of infinite worth.
But STDs are a real part of the story of modern sexuality and worth talking about – mostly because they can cause significant and sometimes lasting damage.
STD rates are at an all-time high, according to a just-released report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New national data shows that cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are climbing in the U.S. and have reached an all-time high. The report shows that though rates of these sexually transmitted diseases fluctuated over the last five years, all three spiked in 2014. The center called the increases “alarming.”
The volume of chlamydia cases last year was particularly alarming. Nationwide, there were about 1.4 million cases, the highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to the CDC. (For prevalence rates from the report, click here.) “STDs are a substantial health challenge facing the Unite States,” the CDC report summary says. “Each of these infections is a potential threat to an individual’s immediate and long-term health and well-being.”
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are common and curable diseases, but if untreated can cause serious problems such as infertility in women. Officials estimate that undiagnosed STDs cause 20,000 women in the country to become infertile each year. I have also read reputable sources who believe chlamydia can negatively impact fertility even when treated. This is one of the reasons Lighthouse provides free testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea. We want women to understand and appreciate the fragility of their fertility, and take steps to protect it. (We also offer the free testing to men because they are part of both the problem and the solution.)
Health officials recommend using condoms during sex to prevent the spread of these diseases. But condoms are not 100% effective – even when used correctly – and they are 0% effective at protecting you from a broken heart. There is another way to protect yourself from the negative consequences of sex: limit your sexual activity to one partner for life. Trust someone with a whole-hearted commitment, before you entrust your physical and emotional health to them.
Abstinence before marriage doesn’t sound very sexy. But it definitely deserves our attention.