 SEX,
FACTS, CHOICES, SUPPORT...
When it comes to making choices about relationships, your lifestyle and
sexual activities, you deserve the best. Like other teenagers, you may
be asking many questions about dating, sex and other issues. When should
I date? How do I know if my boyfriend cares about me? What should I do
when he says he wants to have sex? How far can we go without going too
far? Am I at risk of getting a STD? What would I do if I became
pregnant? These are normal questions.
 Pregnancy
is not the only thing to be concerned about after having sex. STDs
(sexually transmitted diseases) and STIs (sexually transmitted
infections) are common. Some can be cured. Some cannot. Many have lifelong
effects.
HPV (human papillomavirus) is the primary cause of cervical
cancer. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women aquire genital
HPV infection at some point in their lives. Most HPV infections have no
signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected people are unaware they are
infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner.
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually
transmitted disease in the United States. Any sexually active person can be
infected with Chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater
the risk of infection. Because the cervix of teenage girls and young women
is not fully matured, they are at particularly high risk for infection.
In women, symptoms of Gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who
are infected have no symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they can be
mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Untreated gonorrhea can cause
serious and permanent health problems.
There are still over 1 million people living with HIV in the
United States. About one-fourth of those have not yet been diagnosed and are
unaware of their infection.
Source: Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov)
Call us
(530) 246-7075
Sex is a big deal. Know the
facts.
For information and answers to your
questions about sex, dating and other lifestyle issues, check out
ProKnowledge.org
Pro-knowledge.org was created to give women of all ages a place to go for
straight facts about sex, choices, and where to go for support. Free from
lectures, social scrutiny, and judgments.
Pro-Knowledge is designed to empower women with
the knowledge they need to take control of their lives and to make informed,
intelligent choices.
In an effort to keep the facts and information that we provide both
timely and relevant, the Pro-knowledge.org site was designed to be an
ongoing project – one that will be updated regularly under the guidance and
expertise of leading physicians, women’s support organizations, and
sex-education professionals.
All Services Completely Confidential.
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