Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infections (STIs) are a significant health concern in the United States of America. Although there is a lot of information about safe sex practices, STDs and STIs and their symptoms available to people of all ages, their incidence rate is still substantial due to the subject being stigmatized. Therefore, it is essential to encourage conversation about STDs and STIs in order to prevent further spread. This essay will discuss the vital effects of persuading people to talk more about diseases and infections transmitted via sexual intercourse. Specifically, it will consider the impact of open conversation on stigma and its educational and protective values.
Epidemiology of STDs and STIs
Before discussing the benefits of normalizing the dialogue about STDs and STIs, it is crucial to examine their impact on the health of the infected persons and current incidence and distribution in the United States. According to Shannon and Klausner (2019), approximately 20 million new STIs occur in the country every year. Half of these infections are attributed to sexually active adolescents aged 15-24 (Shannon & Klausner, 2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) statistics indicate that reported cases of such STDs as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis increased significantly among adolescents. Specifically, the highest rate of reported cases of chlamydia is found among adolescent females, while the highest percentage of gonorrhea diagnoses is found among their male counterparts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). It is unclear how many cases per year are not reported. Nevertheless, the incidence and unfair distribution of STDs among persons aged 15-24 demonstrates a need for an open conversation on the matter that will help remove the stigma and encourage learning.
Normalizing Open Conversation
Removing Stigma
The social stigma of being diagnosed with an STD or an STI can result in an increased incident rate as individuals refuse to have an open conversation about the stigmatized subject. Prejudiced attitudes towards people with the diagnosis can discourage others from discussing the sexual history and the necessity to undergo STD testing before engaging in sexual intercourse with a new partner. Stigma can be defined as “an individual’s fear that he or she will be subject to negative societal attitudes and treatment based on a specific trait” (Lee & Cody, 2020, p. 295). According to Lee and Cody (2020), it is a barrier to preventing and treating various STDs. The fear of being stigmatized can hinder conversation about each other’s sexual history and health in a relationship. Furthermore, if such a discussion is initiated, one of the persons engaged in it may feel prejudiced against merely by having the talk, believing their partner does not trust them. Thus, the STD prevents an open dialogue on the subject and leads to the further spread of the infections.
It is essential to promote discussion of STDs and encourage other sexual health-seeking behaviors in order to combat the prevailing prejudices and biases. According to Talley (2020, p. 126), the stigma exists both in clinical and private settings because of the cultural conditioning that “sexual behavior should remain private.” Many young girls also state that such a conversation is not something they consider necessary due to the inherent trust in their partner (Widman, Golin, Noar, Massey, & Prinstein, 2016). Moreover, some adolescents lack the skills to negotiate safe sexual practices with their partners as they do not know how to initiate a discussion and be assertive (Widman et al., 2016). Therefore, it is essential to provide adolescents with information about STDs and appropriate sexual health-seeking behaviors and teach them how to start talking with their partners. Teaching young people not to feel uncomfortable discussing their sexual health will help erase the STD stigma and encourage more people to have an open conversation with their partners.
Educational Value
Lack of conversation about STDs and STIs leads to insufficient knowledge on the topic and, as a result, an increased number of infections. With the persisting stigma, people may not feel comfortable searching for information on STDs and their symptoms. The cultural conditioning also may discourage individuals from seeking information on safe sex practices and protection methods. Stigma and lack of open discussion can lead to adolescents and adults having insufficient or outdated information on HIV and STD prevalence and transmission and lack of understanding of their symptoms and existing treatments (Widman et al., 2016). Research shows that more than half of college students are not aware that condoms cannot protect from all diseases and natural condoms are not an effective method of protection against HIV (Amirkhanzadeh Barandouzi & Cong, 2019). Furthermore, many students are unaware of various STDs symptoms and were found to have misconceptions about the symptoms of such diseases as chlamydia (Amirkhanzadeh Barandouzi & Cong, 2019). Therefore, the lack of formal and informal education and discussion on safe sex practices can lead to an increase in the prevalence of STDs among adolescents.
It is vital to encourage open conversation about STDs and their symptoms and treatments to facilitate learning. If people are encouraged to talk about their sexual health with their partner, they may feel compelled to learn more on the topic before the talk. According to Amirkhanzadeh Barandouzi & Cong (2019), knowledge of STDs is significantly higher among students who had undertaken educational courses on sexual health. Such programs and an open discussion of safe sex practices should be utilized to improve STDs’ knowledge among college students. The encouragement to discuss sexual health with their partner can also contribute to adolescents learning more about STDs, their symptoms, and appropriate safe sex practices.
Protective Value
As adolescents aged 15-24 account for half of all STDs in the United States, it is imperative they are encouraged to discuss protection methods with their partners and educate themselves on STDs. Removing stigma and learning more about STDs and safe sex practices from reliable sources can lead to adolescents engaging in more conversation about their sexual health and history with their partners. Individuals who have an open discussion with their sexual partners are more likely to engage in safe practices, asserting their position on using condoms and other protection methods. It can also be argued that they are more likely to recognize STD symptoms in themselves or their partners and attend a specialist to address them. An open conversation on the subject, education, and the absence of stigma have a substantial protective value and can contribute to a decreased incidence of STDs over time.
Conclusion
In summary, STDs present a major health concern for the United States population, with adolescents aged 15-24 being disproportionately affected. With the STD diagnoses being stigmatized and lack of education on the subjects, it is important to encourage adolescents to discuss STDs, sexual health, and history with their partners. Overall, engaging in conversation about STDs and STIs can help remove the existing prejudices, promote learning, and decrease STD cases.
References
Amirkhanzadeh Barandouzi, Z., & Cong, X. (2019). Knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases among college students in the USA. Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care, 5(2), 73-80.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). STDs in adolescents and young adults. Web.
Lee, A. S., & Cody, S. L. (2020). The stigma of sexually transmitted infections. Nursing Clinics of North America, 55(3), 295-305.
Shannon, C. L., & Klausner, J. D. (2019). The growing epidemic of sexually transmitted infections in adolescents. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(1), 137-143.
Talley, J. O. (2020). The impact of social stigmas on sexual health seeking behavior: A review of literature. McNair Scholars Research Journal, 13(1), 123-142.
Widman, L., Golin, C. E., Noar, S. M., Massey, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2016). ProjectHeartforGirls.com: Development of a web-based HIV/STD prevention program for adolescent girls emphasizing sexual communication skills. AIDS Education and Prevention, 28(5), 365-377.