Sexual Health

Pregnancy is not the only thing to be concerned about after having sex. STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are common. Some can be cured. Some cannot. Many have lifelong effects.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there are nineteen million new STD infections each year in the United States. Almost half of these are among young people ages 15 to 24.

Because many cases of STDs go undiagnosed — and some common viral infections, such as human papillomavirus and genital herpes, are not reported to CDC at all — reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are only a fraction of the true burden of STDs in the United States.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infections that can easily be cured with antibiotics. Yet, most infections have no symptoms and often go undiagnosed and untreated, which may lead to severe health consequences, especially for women. Left untreated, 10 to 20 percent of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in women can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) — a condition that can cause long-term complications such as chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Untreated STDs are estimated to cause at least 24,000 women to become infertile each year.

(Source: CDC website November 2010)

Be informed. More specific information is located on the web sites listed below. Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services can provide you with local referrals for testing if you desire. Call one of our locations. We are here for you.

CDC.gov is your online source for credible health information and is the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Click here for information from the State of Pennsylvania Department of Health.