Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Risks for High School Aged Adolescences (HSAA)

Background: This experiment demonstrates the sexual practices in HSAA. HSAA who are sexually active are generally not tested for any STDs and are more prone to contracting them and spreading them. 

Methods: Data was gathered from Monroe County High Schools in New York State by use of an online service based survey. Each student involved in the experiment was asked questions regarding if they were sexually active. Both males and females were asked similar questions. 

Results: 1814 students participated in the survey; 35% (~634 students) have engaged in sexual intercourse. 7.1% (~128 students) have had sexual intercourse before the age of 13. 25.9% (~469 students) have engaged in sexual intercourse in the past three months. 11.6% (~210 students) have had sexual intercourse with four or more partners. 31.6% (~573 students) have participated in oral sex. 29.6% (~536 students) have used drugs or alcohol before they had sex the last time.

Conclusions: If a person has sex with four or more partners and one of these partners had an STD, then it would be spread to the other partners during sexual intercourse. If this pattern was to continue then the first 4 people who were infected would infect their next partner(s). This would then be a chain reaction of infections. Therefore the more partners you have the more likely you are to contract an STD. When students use drugs or alcohol before they have sex it is more likely for them to take risks that they wouldn’t normally take. If one is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, they are less likely to use protection during sex. Thus the use of drugs increases the probability of STD spread.