Teens and Sex - Sex and Disease :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Sex and Disease    Since the beginning of the semester we've been working in groups in order to complete a mid term report, based on our picked topic. I'm part of the group Sex in the New Millennium. We as a group focused our attention on three main categories, sexuality, and sexual preferences, Pregnancies and abortions, and finally sexually transmitted diseases.    Sex is the key ingredient that most companies and advertising agencies are using to sell their products. And as a result we the viewers (being what ever age we may be) are the true victims. You turn on the television and the first thing you see is someone or something being sexually exploited. Daytime TV and talk shows are long time abusers of this. As a result more and more people are practicing sex all over the country and the world. And coeincidentliy the ages of these participants are getting younger and younger. STDs are the at a all time high.    What are STDs ? STDs are sexually transmitted diseases, formerly called venereal diseases (VD), which are transmitted by direct sexual contact. Some are considered among the most serious diseases of the world . Any person who is sexually active or is thinking about having sexual activity should be familiar with the symptoms, prevention , and treatment of these diseases. Most forms of STDs may be treated and cured in the early stages, but putting off treatment can be dangerous.    The germs that cause sexually transmitted diseases can survive only for a few seconds in the air, so the diseases are transmitted only by direct body contact. Like most other diseases we do not know where or when sexually transmitted diseases started. To add to the list of STDs there is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which may lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).    In North and South America combined, there are estimates that up to 2 million people are currently infected with the HIV virus. The World Health Organization estimates that 8-10 million adults and 1 million children worldwide are infected with the AIDS virus. By the year 2000, 40 million people may be infected with the virus . More than 90% of these persons will likely reside in the developing countries. Based on 1989 data, AIDS is the number four cause of death in males ages 15-54.