| Playing it safe
By Vidushi Seniveratne
Every month has a special day. October would be Halloween. December's, well undoubtedly Christmas, and of course 31st night... Come February, with all the hype that's kicked in, even in our corner of the world, Valentine's Day is big – especially among young people. Seeing it as a day dedicated to celebrating the love they feel for the special someone in their life, girls and guys go all out to making this day something out of this world.
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| Pix by J. Weerasekara |
And being in love during these amazing years, really does seem phenomenal. With changes that even you don't understand taking place within your body, and every emotion you feel, being heightened, teenagers and young adults, start getting adventurous, in the name of love. It's safe to say that every one of us has had that rush that makes you feel you can take on the world, when you're in love. But it also sometimes makes us take risks that are reckless, and at the end, not even worth the excitement. Having unprotected sex and making yourself vulnerable to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), being one such risk.
"One of the main factors that contribute to most young people going ahead with taking an impulsive step like this would be the fact that they always tell themselves that contracting an STD is not something that would ever happen to them. In their mind, it's always someone else. So they go ahead with it, unknowingly jeopardising their health," says Dinidu De Alwis (22), a young sexual rights activist.
"Though the local education system deals with this subject more than before, there's still much to be done. For instance, at first it was just reproductive education that young people received in school, and this has gradually grown into sex education. But we need to go beyond that and enable young people to receive knowledge on sexuality education. It should go beyond just the technical facts and deal with the psycho-social aspect," said Dinidu, who is a great example of young activists in this area, having been involved in the subject since he was 18. Heavily involved in the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAP) to be held in August this year, he also recently worked closely with another group of youngsters who organised a successful campaign to educate their peers and the rest of society on HIV AIDS and other STDs, how to protect themselves and what steps to take in the event of contracting one.
Having held the AIDS Awareness Campaign 2006/2007 at Excel World on January 20, the members of the Interact Clubs of St. Peter's College and St. Bridget's Convent, are an impressive group of teenagers who have bravely approached an issue that our society is generally keen to avoid. The AIDS walk, and awareness event that completed the campaign, had a cross section of people present, ranging from students, to parents, to teachers and the general public, numbering over thousand five hundred. The event consisted of lectures by distinguished speakers proficient in the subject, debates, poster, essay and multimedia presentation competitions, and an awareness exhibition on AIDS and other STDs.
"STDs are seen as a stigma, and since it isn't talked about openly, most young people are deprived of the correct facts regarding these diseases and its consequences. Though the average Sri Lankan urban youth might have a reasonable amount of knowledge on STDs, young people overall are not educated enough in this area. In our campaign we dealt with all areas of concern such as contraception, tests that could be taken, where these clinics are and how privacy is protected at all times, and since we had such a turn out, we could safely say that we have done an impressive amount of educating young people on the subject, says Romali Boteju (17), Project Co-Chair and Vice President of the Interact Club of St. Bridget's Convent.
According to Heshan Perera (18), the President of the Interact Club of St. Peter's College, "The support given by their parents for the project and their efforts, has been amazing. "They really appreciate the fact that we are working for the greater good of the community and are actually quite impressed by the knowledge we have on the subject!"
As for young people in Sri Lanka being aware about the intricacies or even basic facts regarding STDs, he feels that the level of awareness is very low. "Young people have no proper understanding about the subject, and generally consider it a joke or something that doesn't really affect them. Most don't even know the fundamental difference between HIV and AIDS.
Our campaign really helped answer a lot of their questions, and we used entertainment and other innovative methods to capture their attention and educate them on everything they need to know on the subject. We spoke about not hating the victim, but hating the virus, and highlighted the fact that it was society who victimise the individual, even more than the virus."
As Joanne Ramanadan (17), SBC's Interact member in charge of publicity for the campaign puts it, "Sri Lankan society lacks knowledge regarding STDs in general, and young people especially, most often do not know how to handle a situation regarding a STD. Our campaign was for this purpose. And most importantly, the fact that the awareness was created by us, people their own age, for instance, made our target audience feel so much more comfortable to ask whatever questions they wanted. Of course it's an added benefit that our parents and teachers have been supportive of our cause, right along."
In a day and age where ignorance is definitely not bliss, especially when it concerns your health, young people proactively making an effort to educate and create awareness among their peers on issues such as HIV AIDS and other STDs, is extremely impressive. And most importantly, they need all the support they can get, from all those who surround them. One last message out to all you young people – prevention is definitely better than cure.
Knowledge
and attitude on STDs/ HIV AIDS among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka:
Knowledge on STDs/ HIV AIDS among adolescents was found to be poor. Only 57% of adolescents were aware of the existence of sexually transmitted diseases in general. Fifty nine percent were aware of HIV/AIDS, while Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Herpes, Genital warts were known to be less than 40%. Awareness increased with age and increasing socioeconomic status while the gender differences were low.
Symptoms and signs of STDs and the knowledge on prevention of STDs were poor, less than 20% of adolescents knew the correct answers for questions on the above aspects. The knowledge on transmission and prevention of HIV /AIDS was relatively better compared to knowledge on other STDs. However, proportions of adolescents who had correctly answered the questions on HIV/AIDS never exceeded 50%. About 50% - 60% of adolescents demonstrated positive attitudes towards HIV /AIDS patients and attitudes improved with age.
Knowledge and attitude on STD/HIV/AIDS among out-of-school adolescents:
The knowledge of out-of-school adolescents on HIV/AIDS and symptoms and signs of STDs was marginally higher among out-of-school adolescents compared to those in schools reflecting a knowledge transfer through community channels. However, over all knowledge could not be considered satisfactory as the overall percentage of those with correct knowledge rarely exceeded 50%. It is estimated that Sri Lanka is still in the beginning of the HIV epidemic and successful control will depend on knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents and youth to a large extent. Therefore, it is important to plan strategies specific to adolescents to impart knowledge and improve skills necessary for the prevention of an HIV epidemic.
Sexual behaviour:
A fair proportion of in-school adolescents appear to be sexually active. Among 14 -19-year-olds in school, 6% reported that they have experienced heterosexual intercourse while 10% reported having homosexual relations. As could be expected, there is a considerable gender variation in sexual experience. The prevalence of heterosexual experience was 14% among adolescent boys, and that among girls was 2%. Even if an allowance is made for the possibility of under reporting of such a sensitive issue among girls, the gap is considerable.
This raises the possibility of males being exposed to high risk sources such as commercial sex workers. Sexual experience showed a positive relationship with socio-economic status.
Reports of sexual experience among out-of-school adolescents was the reverse of the pattern seen among the in-school population.
Heterosexual relationships were commoner among this group (22%) while 9% reported homosexual experience. The majority who had heterosexual relations had intercourse with their girl/boy friend but about 12% reported having sex with commercial sex workers. Of those who reported heterosexual experiences, only 39% had used condoms.
Although these percentages may appear rather small, they represent a sizable number in the population and it is important.
- Excerpts from The National Survey on Emerging Issues among Adolescents - UNICEF |
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Must know facts about STDs:
What are sexually transmitted diseases?
Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs as they are commonly known as diseases that are spread by sex. That is, a person with one of these illnesses gives the illness to their sex partner during the act of having sex.
What type of germs cause STDs?
STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are caused by bacteria, viruses and fungus germs and sometimes by other parasites.
Can you have an STD without knowing it?
Yes, many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have little or no symptoms. Many people are infected without knowing it. In an STD such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, up to 90% of women infected with these germs have no symptoms at all.
Are there treatments for all the STDs?
Yes, all STDs can be treated, but there aren't cures for all of them. Some such as syphilis and gonorrhea can be totally cured fairly easily if treated properly and promptly. Others, such as herpes and hepatitis can be treated but not cured completely.
How to prevent getting STDs and AIDS
*Don't have sex until you are old enough and smart enough to prevent getting these diseases.
*Abstinence, meaning not having sex, is the only real way of not getting AIDS and other STDs. Just because it seems that all your friends are having sex does not mean that they are telling the truth. The fact is that at age fifteen, over 80% of girls have not had any sex and of all kids under seventeen, 40% of boys and 60% of girls have never had sex. If it doesn't seem like it is right to have sex, then it may not be the right time.
*Discuss these issues with your parents or a responsible adult you can trust.
Talk to your parents first. If they haven't already started to talk to you about these issues it is just because they also feel uncomfortable talking about them too. We are all in need of help when it comes to talking about these sensitive subjects. There are usually counselors at school who you could talk to, and they are just waiting for you to come to them.
*Learn how to say 'no' to your boy/girl friend.
This is not always very easy to do. Talking about sex can feel awkward and uncomfortable. It is important to think about these important issues in advance and to practice dealing with them. Practice saying ‘No.’ Learning to say no gives a person a lot of power in their lives and it is a very grown-up way of handling things.
*Use protection
If you decide that you will have sex, you have to be protected. Always use protection if you do have sex. This means you should learn how to use condoms properly and how to refuse to have unprotected sex. Having sex is a mature activity and you must be responsible if you have chosen to do it.
It should be noted that even condoms are not foolproof and they may break or they may not be used properly. They are effective if used in the right way and will most help to protect you, but the only 100% method to avoid getting any sexually transmitted disease (STD) is by not having sex. Using condoms properly and consistently will prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
Avoid getting STDs and treat them promptly if you do get one.
If you get an STD then you could have just as easily have gotten another including AIDS. Also if you have an STD it makes an opening in your skin or an inflammation that may make it more likely for the AIDS virus to get into your body.
Keep control of your
life and what you do.
Don't get yourself into situations that you may lose control (e.g.: getting drunk or using drugs that may affect your judgment). Without being able to make wise decisions, a fatal mistake may be made. Remember that taking care of your body is important and that means avoiding unnecessary diseases if possible.
A disease that you catch as a teenager can affect you for the rest of your life so be smart! Don't let yourself get into a situation that you will regret someday. Talking more freely about sex, birth control and how to protect yourself from STDs can be learned. It is not easy for anyone but it can be done. |
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Other common STDs:
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
* Caused by bacteria germs; the infection starts 3 days to 3 weeks after having sex with an infected person.
* In men it causes a liquid (pus) to come out of the opening in the penis.
* Women usually don't have symptoms, but if untreated it can progress into a more serious disease and cause her not to be able to have babies in the future.
The groups most likely to get gonorrhea and chlamydia are young adults from ages 15 to 29. There are more cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia in the 15 to 19-year-old age group when you consider that 15 to 19 year olds are less sexually active than 20 to 29-year-olds.
Herpes
* Caused by a virus germ.
* Appears 3 to 10 days after sex with person who already has the disease.
* The herpes sores start as blisters, then they open up into little holes, and then they scab up.
* By 5 to 15 days they heal and disappear.
* The germs stay in your body and the sores may return in the future, sometimes often.
* Women may not know they have herpes because the sores may be inside the vagina.
What is herpes?
Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a virus (the herpes simplex virus or HSV). It is spread by direct contact with a herpes sore. Besides appearing on the sexual organs, it may also infect the mouth and lips. It is a bit more complicated disease than some other STDs because the disease looks like it disappears from your body but then it can reoccur in the future. The virus stays in the body but it goes into a sleep phase where there are no symptoms present. It may stay like this for a long time (months or years) before the symptoms reappear.
Genital Warts
* Appear as one or many raised lumps or bumps
* They appear 1 month to 1 year after having sex with an infected person.
* Often cannot be seen in women because they may be all inside the vagina. May also be too small in men and women to be easily seen.
* More serious in women because they may change into cervical cancer.
What causes genital warts?
Caused by a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV. The time from the exposure to the virus until symptoms show up is called the incubation period. The incubation period for the development of warts varies from one month to eighteen months with the most common incubation between three to four months. It is passed from person to person by direct contact.
Syphillis
* Caused by a bacteria (germ), sores appear 3 weeks to 3 months after having sex with an infected person.
* The sores look like holes in the skin that have a raised edge. They are usually painless.
* The sores disappear after a few weeks but the germ remains in the body and the disease reappears as a rash all over the body.
* This rash disappears too but the germs can attack other parts of the body years later.
* Syphilis can be completely cured at any stage.
* In women the sores may be hidden in the vagina. Syphilis can be passed from a woman to her unborn child.
http://www.roberttaylormd.com/std.html
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