Safer Sex Practices

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Safe Sex Practices is vitally important to curb the spread of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. It is of equal importance to incorporate these practices early on in the life of teenager and young adults because these age groups of 13-18 year olds are the most vulnerable demographic group to be affected by the negative effects of unsafe sexual practices. Estimates suggest that about 48% of nearly 19 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occurring annually in the United States are acquired by persons aged 15-24 years (Crosby & Danner, 2008). These statistics are alarming enough to warrant investigation into the reason or reasons why risky sexual practices are performed and upon evidence of such finding, to begin to plan solutions to the problem. If these statistics are ignored or downplayed, the probability of a full blown epidemic could become a reality. Safe sex practices should be cultivated early on in the life of a young adult to where those healthy practices are carried on throughout the individual’s life span. Engagement in risk behaviors peaks during adolescence. Adolescents are over-represented in nearly every category of risk behavior, such as drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking, skipping school, and unsafe sexual activities (Baumgartner, Valkenburg, & Peter, 2010). There are numerous advantages to practicing safe sex, the most important is that individual can expect a life free of sexually transmitted diseases that can cause various cancer like cervical cancer for women in the case of HPV, outbreak of herpes spores which can affect an individual for life, Hepatitis B and C, which can damage the liver and cause death and HIV which can lead to AIDS and eventually death. While these examples are just a few and in fact some of these diseases can be contracted through other means such as drug use, tattoos and

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