A few facts about STIs (*Sexually Transmitted Infections) that you may not know:
- There are approximately 20 million new STIs each year- nearly half of them among people ages 15 to 24.
- One in 4 sexually active adolescent females has an STI.
- Untreated STIs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, put women at increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease which may result in chronic pelvic pain, miscarriage, premature birth, infertility, and potentially a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.
- 24,000 women in the United States become infertile each year as a result of undiagnosed and untreated STIs.
- If left untreated, STIs can be transmitted from a woman to her unborn child, potentially resulting in joint infections, eye infections, blindness, and deadly blood infections in newborns.
Young women are taking the brunt of this STI crisis. And when an unborn child is in the picture, there are two lives on the line.
The good news is that 3 of the major STIs can be cured with antibiotics. Early diagnosis and treatment of an STI can prevent illness and death for both a mother and her unborn child.
Due to the potentially adverse effects of STIs on pregnant women and their unborn children, most medical prenatal care involves STI testing. However, many women do not have the means or the resources to seek immediate medical care.
For this reason, our certified nurses are now conducting STI testing and treatment for both pregnant and non-pregnant women at our Southeast Pregnancy Resource Center.
Our goal is that through this program, women will receive:
- Compassionate and judgment-free care
- Healthy alternative lifestyle options
- Direct treatment or professional referrals for STI treatment
- A healthy chance at life for their unborn children
- A gospel-centered message of hope and love
If you or someone you know is interested in making an appointment for an STI test, please call the Southeast Center today: 503-777-7097 or visit our website to find out more.
*The term STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) is becoming more commonly used by medical professionals than STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease), in part due to the negative stigma attached to the word “disease.” Additionally, diseases, as opposed to infections, are commonly thought to involve symptoms. Most STIs, however, are not initially accompanied by any symptoms.
Much of the information cited in this post was collected from these websites:
https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/adolescents.htm
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/sexually-transmitted-diseases
https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/health-risks-of-stds-for-women.aspx
https://www.stdcheck.com/blog/stds-that-can-affect-unborn-babies-pregnancy
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