Lets Talk About Sex Baby

Apparently everyone forgot what they had learned in high-school because STD rates are only increasing. As of 2012, One in two sexually active young people, will get and STD before they're 25, adding to the 19 million U.S. cases per year.

• The Good News: Some are curable
• The Bad New: They've spread so much that some of the curable STDs are returning/evolving into antibiotic-resistant form & many STD's can be life threatening, regardless if they're treatable.

Why? People have gotten daring, whether it's sexting, half naked Facebook pictures, and late night Skyping, which goes along with the careless attitude with using protection. We live in a sex obsessed world, although the consequences seem to be downplayed. If you and your best friend decide to have careless one night stands, one of you has nearly a 100% chance of a morning regret. The only problem is it may be something you regret for the rest of your life.

Here's a lost of the most common STD's to refresh your memory...

Human Papilloma Virus/HPV: HPV is the most common STD. One study estimated that three-quarters of the sexually active population has had HPV at some point during their lives. HPV may be known as "the cervical cancer virus," but only a few types of HPV are linked to cancer. Others cause genital warts, or no symptoms at all. Although HPV is considered incurable, its symptoms can be treated, and many people resolve infections on their own. Recently the government approved a new vaccine to protect young women from the four most common strains of the virus.

Chlamydia: Chlamydia is the most common curable STD. It infects the cervix in women, and the penile urethra in men. Its most frequent symptoms are pain during sex and urination, and discharge. However, the reason chlamydia is so common is that most people who get chlamydia don't have symptoms for weeks, months, or even years. Despite the lack of symptoms, it can do a lot of damage to your body in the long run. Latex condoms are effective at preventing the disease.

Gonorrhea: Gonorrhea, otherwise known as "the clap," is another common bacterial STD. In general it infects the same organs as chlamydia, and has similar long-term effects. Symptoms of gonorrhea include burning when urinating and, in men, white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. Just as with chlamydia, however, many people with gonorrhea don't have symptoms. This is why the CDC estimates that, in the United States alone, there are more than 700,000 new cases a year. Oh, and if you're one of those people who thinks that oral sex is safe sex (or isn't sex at all), you should know that gonorrhea can also infect the throat.

HIV/AIDS: HIV is the virus associated with AIDS. It can only be transmitted by an exchange of bodily fluids -- including semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk and blood. It cannot be transmitted by casual contact. Currently, most people with HIV are treated with a combination of drugs known as highly active anti-retroviral therapy, or HAART. Although this cannot cure the disease, it can reduce the likelihood that it will progress to AIDS. HIV is no longer a death sentence, but there is no cure.

Herpes/HSV: Herpes is another viral STD. It comes in two forms, HSV1 and HSV2. HSV1 is most often associated with cold sores, and HSV2 is most often associated with genital sores. However, it is possible to transmit herpes from the mouth to the genitals and vice versa. Herpes symptoms can be treated with anti-viral drugs, but the virus cannot be cured. People with the herpes virus need to know that they can transmit the virus even when they do not have any sores or other symptoms. Although using a condom can reduce the risk of herpes transmission, condoms are not 100% effective since herpes is spread skin-to-skin.

Syphilis: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease with a notorious history. Caused by the bacteriumTreponema pallidum, it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Syphilis is transmitted by direct contact with syphilis sores, which can appear on the external genitals and the mouth, as well as in the vagina or rectum. Because these sores can appear on areas not covered by a condom, condoms only reduce the likelihood of transmission, but not eliminate it entirely. The small painless sores (chancres) of early syphilis may heal by themselves, but that doesn't mean the disease is gone -- it's just become more difficult to detect and treat.

WRAP IT BEFORE YOU TAP IT

If you don't feel comfortable enough to speak up about using condoms, you shouldn't be having sex. Birth control pills may give you 99% hope in preventing pregnancy, but you still have 50% chance of catching an STD. If you have a significant other, you should know that the cheating statistic is also up to 58%. Unfortunately, it has to happen to someone.

On A Lighter Note...