Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Few Widely Believed Myths about STD

We are living in a world in which people can find a lot of information about sexuality and especially about sexually transmitted diseases (STD). if you perform a basic research you will notice that the Internet is full of advice and articles related to sexuality, but the question is whether all these sources are reliable or not. Given that there are many sources that are not very reliable, it is better to double check all information related to sexually transmitted diseases and safe sex. In this way you will determine whether it is true or we are talking about myths. These myths lead to many serious consequences in people who are not very experienced in this activity.

While we are talking about myths associated with STD, it is very important for parents of teenage children to understand the importance of safe sex and STD. Modern parents believe that the information today are more accessible and that their children can easily learn everything they want with the help of the Internet. Some of them believe that they don’t need to educate their children and this is very wrong. It's getting more and more common in Australia now, but luckily it's not serious.

This approach is wrong because of the many aforementioned disinformation and myths that can be dangerous for everyone especially for inexperienced and ignorant adolescents. The feeling of discomfort and embarrassment related to open conversation about sexuality cannot be viewed as an obstacle between parents and their children entering sexual maturity. Parents should be patient and should have all the relevant and precise information and with an open conversation without any discomfort and taboos, they should present their knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, sexuality and risks to the children.

Now let’s check some of the most frequent myths related to STD.

Oral sex is the safest form of sex – this is surely not true although it is one of the most widespread myths today. The truth is that certain STD like gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis, herpes and HIV are transmitted with oral sex too.

Hepatitis B and C and HIV are STD that can be transmitted only sexually – This is another myth and completely false information. HIV just like hepatitis can be transmitted in many different ways. Some of the people who have HIV got infected from unsterilized medical equipment, blood transfusion, acupuncture needles, infected equipment used for piercing and tattooing, organ transplantation etc. In addition, people can get infected if the wounded part of the skin like cut or bruise gets in contact with infected semen, blood or saliva. Contrary to popular belief, these diseases cannot be transmitted with handshakes and hugs or even via coughing.

Condoms can keep you safe from every STD – While it is true that condoms are able to prevent most of the diseases, it is also true that there are some STD that can’t be prevented with a condom. Besides that, the condom can be cracked or ruptured, so make sure to check whether you have used it in the right way.