Not only is April National Food Month. It’s also National Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Awareness Month, a health observance created to increase awareness about STDs, including their transmission, prevention and treatment.
Most people are aware of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but there are over twenty other STDS out there and we must do something to stop these diseases from plaguing our communities.
A recent study by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that one in four adolescent girls, ages 14 to 19, is infected with one or more of these diseases: trichomoniasis, genital herpes, human papilloma virus (HPV) and chlamydia. The study also revealed 48% of black teen girls are infected with at least one of the diseases.
“High STD infection rates among young women, particularly young African-American women, are clear signs that we must continue developing ways to reach those most at risk,” said John M. Douglas, Jr., M.D., director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “STD screening and early treatment can prevent some of the most devastating effects of untreated STDs.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said in a report that latex condoms are “highly effective” at preventing infection by chlamydia, trichomoniasis, HIV, gonorrhea. Abstinence is the only sure way to avoid STDs, but those who choose to engage in sex (any type, by the way) need to be informed of ways they can minimize the spread of STDs.
Hivtest.org can provide you with a testing site near you. Some of them offer free, anonymous and confidential testing so there is no excuse for not taking advantage of this service.
After you know your status (and we hope it’s negative), the next step is to learn more about preventing STDs so it stays that way. This 10-question Mayo Clinic quiz is a great place to test your knowledge of sexual safety and inform yourself on the issue.
A condom is your second-best protection, but it’s only effective when used consistently and correctly. The American Social Health Association has compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for condom use.
For more info, check out the STD Awareness Month website and the STD Info Page from the CDC.
Went to get my HIV test February 2008. For the whole week i was a nervous wreck. The time i was with D** we did not wear protection. All those thoughts mad me lose weight and I blamed myself for being so careless with my precious body. Love my a$$.
When the doctor came in with my results she hugged me b/c i was crying…….HIV negative. God help me I was HAPPY!! I have been very careful since that time. No more games people. You have one life. Live your life right and treat your body like the gift God intended it to be.
Ms. Truth
Go get tested. Save yourself and your partner
GOOD TO KNOW !
APRIL *(IS ALSO) NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH (I”m a proud mother of a nine-year old prince who is mildly Autisc and he’s my sunshine).
**much like J.Dakar’s smile in his avatar! LOL!
Hoes take note!
Surveys and Statistics are very misleading.. They refer to the percentage of the people tested and that is not the overall picture.. When you read 48% of black teenage females have a STD that sounds like a lot but that is 48% of the ones tested.. I am sure a whole lot more are disease free and virgins.. With that said, these young ladies need to keep their legs closed or use protection.. An STD can cause infertility and also cause chronic pain in the pelvis.. I have a 14 year old and also nieces and cousins and I tell these young ladies.. 15 mins of great sex is not worth your life…. People say “sex with a condom doesn’t feel good” but if you never had unprotected sex you would not know that now would you..
I have never met a man worth dying for so why would I risk my life in the bedroom…
Did you know that STD can also stand for Stupid Tramps Disease?
@ 1, glad to hear you got back some good news!!
It is no longer referred to as STD’s (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) they are now referred to STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Good article. Prevention is the best cure…but for those that may already be suffering with a disease..check out natural cures. You can be healed of any illness…there is no need to die or live in pain. The question to aks yourself is
1. Do you have an open mind?
If you do…read, read, read! But read the right info…don’t read things from big pharmaceutical companies. They will only tell you what is in their best financial interest. Its not about awareness. Don’t fall for the “awareness” line. Awareness is to get your mind off of CURE. If you had a bad tooth ache…do you want the doctor to be aware or do you want him to cure your pain? Its about prevention and cure.
I just got tested last week!!!!…and blessed to say I am clean as a whistle…It is good to know your status as diseases are running rampid!!!!..even if you are having protected sex…STILL GET TESTED!!!!!!!! Its only for the benefit of you and your partner or partners (whatever floats your boat…LOL)….Thats my PSA for the week…lol
STD’s/STI’s, it doesn’t matter. African Americans are leading the pack in contracting any type of sexually transmitted disease. C’mon people, know your partner and think twice, three, four times before you have unprotected sex. This is not a dress rehearsal, we only have one life to live. Everything that looks good, ain’t always good for you. Remember, pretty is as pretty does…
Thanks Ms. Mac
I was that girl that waited to be in a relationship. However these guys now feel if women are throwing it the MUST catch it every time. Never can trust 100%. Even when you are married. scary.
It’s always what you don’t know that kills you. I’m 20 yrs old and also one of the fortunate young females with health care in the U.S today. The fact that I know my body made me one less statistic. My Ex actually had me believe that he loved me and I was the “only one for him”. Thats why to this day I will never prejudge a young female who has a STD. I know what it’s like to feel stupid and ashamed. I always wait til after the fact to put hoes on full blast.
#6: Glad you mentioned that. There is a difference between an STD and an STI: A disease means that the infection is actually causing the infected person to feel sick, or to notice something is wrong. The term STI refers to infection with any germ that can cause an STD, even if the infected person has no symptoms.
Im a University (college) student in the UK. For my dissertation i wrote about
AIDS and black youths peception of other STD’s…
You wont belive how many thought they could tell someone has HIV just
by looking at them..in this day and age?! Smh…
There is no way of knowing a person has HIV jus by looking unless they have full
blown AIDS and are so sick they look close to death.
Practise Safe Sex..Know Yours AND Your Partners Status BEFORE you do the
jiggy jiggy, bump n grind, da nasty, get your freak on etc. etc…(lol)
I am loving the loop more and more..raising awareness on politics and issues in the world that many blogs don’t even touch on!!!
CL is the BEST!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!!
STD’s And HIV/AIDS Make you Realize that When we Do Stupid Things It Comes back to Bite you In the end and we are just killing each other Slowly but surely. I Have heard of the Coming and the going and it Not the Disease that is Killing people its simple things that your body should be able to fight off and people do realize how important education on these issues are. If you Are Sexually active as most of us Are WRAP IT UP or DON”T UNWRAP IT! People always wanna blame the other person but it take 2 in consenual Sex to make it happen and if you knoe that your Partner has been around the block A couple time then why would you not wrap up. I Had A Friend tell me He has been Positive for 20 years and he Has had unprotected sex with Partners and they Haven’t caught I Said To him I refuse to even Put Myself in that situtation and Open myself up to that Idea So no thank you!
Subject: If you have a daughter, sister, mother, aunt ! PLEASE READ **HIV PREDATOR GIVES NAMES OF GIRLS HE INFECTED WITH HIV ON YOU TUBE
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE, HE NAMES FIRST AND LAST NAMES OF WOMEN HE INFECTED WITH HIV AND THEY DO NOT KNOW – HE IS VERBOSE AND PROUD AS HE TELLS OF HIS SCHEME, ITS NOT A GAME EVERYONE BE ON GAURD!
PLEASE FWD ON PLEASE TO EVERYONE ESP. YOUNG WOMEN EVERYWHERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/wa...yP4ZScN4&feature=dir
If that video REMEMBERME posted is true, that is absolutely sick and twisted.
I counted at least 25 names, but stopped the video after dude bragged about one of them being a virgin and how her first time with him gave her HIV. What kind of a punk does something like this?! Notice, I said punk because a real man wouldn’t do some childish shit like this.
People, protect yourselves.
@ 11 & 12
That’s real talk. Everyone who has an STD/I is not a hoe or a tramp. Plenty of children running around with diseases, too because of abuse. Nothing to laugh or pre-judge about.
—–That youtube guy is so fucking sick. And he is trying to say that its some kind
——-of lesson to fast girls and materialism but its all about vengence. Pure evil. He
——–wouldn’t even spare the stupid teens! Damn!
It is so important to get tested. I watched my mother fight 18 years and loose her battle with AIDS. It is not a game and the issues and pains that one deals with is so difficult to watch.
“A recent study by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that one in four adolescent girls, ages 14 to 19, is infected with one or more of these diseases: trichomoniasis, genital herpes, human papilloma virus (HPV) and chlamydia. The study also revealed 48% of black teen girls are infected with at least one of the diseases”
That’s scary….
The way the parapgraph is written leads me to believe that once you get one of the diseases mentioned above, that you have that disease for life (although it can be treated).
Am I correct in the assumption that once a person has had
Chlamydia, Genital Herpers, HPV or Trichomoniasis, that the symptoms can reoccur ?
If so, that’s a horrible sentence to receive for one night of passion/pleasure…
“Abstinence is the only sure way to avoid STDs”
That is certainly the truth !!!
Alot of my girl friends and guy friends always say ‘it’s not the same with a condom’ and i can count on both hands how many of them caught a STD.
Most of the dudes i know say they’ll do it for a few minutes raw, and then put on a condom before they climax. ok, keep fucking up like that.
A few minutes going raw-dog will get someone pregnant or with a STD. and then you’ll be facing a lifetime as a STD statistic, or as a young-person-unexpectedly-becoming-a-parent statistic. choose which you want, cuz eventually it’ll happen.
thanks J. Dakar, for addressing a topic that the black community tends to avoid.
this is an excellent post. thanks j. dakar.
i remember being in college & there was blood drive @ our school. two weeks later that sat everyone down in the gym to inform us that over 80% of the students that donated blood that day were HIV positive. it was one of the most fritening things ever. ever since then i make sure i’m tested every year.
so, if you really love yourself & respect others, please protect yourself.
they*
Seriously people need to be soo much more aware of STI’s and HIV. Few weeks ago we lost someone in the family because of it, its soo sad. If your having sex get tested, get your partner tested. I used to think it would never happen to anyone I know but it did and it made me realise that you have to be careful and not assume that your partner is too ‘clean’ to be infected.
I THINK THIS IS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS PERIOD, NOT JUST IN GIRLS, BUT IN GUYS ALSO. WHERE ARE THE GIRLS GETTING THE STD’S FROM. I THINK AS PARENTS WE NEED TO BE MORE INVOLVED WITH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT SEX. INSTEAD OF SAYING DONT DO IT. EDUCATE OUR YOUNG ADULTS. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUTURE. TEACH THEM MORE ABOUT THEIR BODIES AND HEALTH. BECAUSE ITS NEVER TO LATE. AND STOP MAKING IT A JOKE!!!
FYI, before anyone gets all twitterpated, I was joking about hoes and tramps. It’s Friday. Lighten up.
J.Dakar or Setian
Question:
If you get one of the diseases mentioned above can it be treated and dealt with or do the symptoms reoccur afterwhile ?
* Yeah, I guess I need to read up on STD’s. I have no ideal what is going on these days with young people…..
excuse my typing. i just woke up…
Wow a message that really matters and the CL folks here dont care, if they put Ri Ri’s tired ass on the front, they get 100+ comments, sad sad sad. get tested and be aware people, stop trying to run up into everything at the club,
i’m just here for the free food said:
this is an excellent post. thanks j. dakar.
i remember being in college & there was blood drive @ our school. two weeks later that sat everyone down in the gym to inform us that over 80% of the students that donated blood that day were HIV positive. it was one of the most fritening things ever. ever since then i make sure i’m tested every year.
so, if you really love yourself & respect others, please protect yourself.
Bill Said:
Dag….80% of the students giving blood at YOUR school is HIV Positive ? ?????
that is such a tragic report….
one more thing- it’s very important that couples get tested before having sex. cuz the last thing you need, is to find out your new boyf/girlf currently has a STD that they are hiding from you, or really didn’t know about.
i lost two potential boyfs because i asked them to get tested with me, and they refused to do it. it ain’t worth it to me, to take a risk like that and i let ‘em go.
alot of people thought i was being too cautious, but i eventually found a guy who agreed to get tested with me, both of us came back clean, and we both use condoms and get tested regularly.
be careful out there!
I don’t know about AA leading the pack, I think again they might try to scare people and make our people turn against them like they already have.Those are just my thoughts though.I never contracted no STD but my ex has and the thing was I didn’t give it to him and he couldn’t remember who he gave he slept with, but chick was sure going around telling everyone (she was a known tramp though) was going around saying she slept with him (which turned out to be true) and that his shit wasn’t nothing then try to get me to tell everybody he got something going.Pissed me off because I had never had sex with him and never did.Go get tested to get sure!
When society stops promoting promiscuity and extramarital sex maybe the young people will stop feeling like premarital sex is a rite of passage. I can’t stand those rap it up commercials when nasty ass rappers try to tell people something that they are not even doing. They are promoting this promiscuity.
Everyone needs to protect themselves.
@ Bill
No the only infections/diseases that cures are not available for are Herpes, HIV, and HPV.
And btw, it’s not just “young people” who spread and contract STI/D’s.
@ 34 that’s where the parents come in.That’s a parents job to school their children on that.Parents CAN moderate what their kids see on TV.
Iknow a person who had contracted HIV/AIDS at the age of 13 when she became sexually active. It was so scarey to know because I new her soo well and we were the same age. She died soo young and it brought me to the point where I set up a campaign and protested against my school to give out contraceptions and teach sex education because it wasn’t taught in my high school and they eventually did and to tell you the truth, teachers and some parents were not happy about it and I had to deal with alot of negativity but one of my teachers’ was so supportive that she backed me up 100% and with the help of my wonderful parents my fellow campaigners I didn’t give up even though some parents gave me alot of slack!
Alot of teenagers were becoming sexually active at a young age and I wanted to do something to make them aware. Alot of pupils in the school and oustide, mostly young, joined the campaign and it became such a success that we were invited to give a talk in South Africa as part of World Aids Day event.
I will never forget that day and I still have a photograph of us standing next to the amazing Mr Nelson Mandela. His words were so powering that I will remember this for the rest of my life!!!
Thank you so much Concreteloop for making each other aware of the problems we are facing and trying to better it each day.
To all the bloggers please get tested, life is too short to be ignorant , live life with good health and happiness. USE A CONDOM!
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This is an excellent post- but this isn’t strictly for young people. There are high statistics.of african american women getting these infections and disease. From loyal good women that are not hoes and some are married. And a high rate of these women got it from DOWN LOW BROS. Bottom line it won’t hurt to get tested at the very least every year. Yes its a scary thing waiting for results. But having a disease not knowing, that could of been treated and is know killing you is even scarier!
Get tested people.
*** I love this post- even the comments are enough to make folks run out and get tested so informative!***
LOL @ MS MAC
great article! I feel that young people in our community need to really start taking this seriously. It seems so taboo to discuss it, but what’s worse, feeling embarassed to talk about something that by knowing the information you could save your life, or to let that embarassment allow you to contract something later on??
Theres no reason why people in North America are not getting testing and are not informed. We have many resources and educational programs to ensure our health safety. If you are sexually active, you should be getting tested if not yearly, then every 3 or 4 months, as some diseases take from 2 weeks to 3 months to get detected. I love myself and my health very much, and take pride in getting checked up when I’m supposed to. Ignorance is not an answer here. By not getting checked out, you have increased the chances of spreading diseases and infections to more people.
Another thing, I hate when people say, “that person didnt look like they had an std, so i didnt use a condom”. How are LOOKS a determining factor in whether or not you choose to have safe sex. GO TAKE A TEST AND LET THE RESULTS DECIDE, if anything! My gawd!
And people need to stop bout STDs and AIDS is only for hoes, gays, and people on the DL. Anyone at any stage in their life can get an std, yes even you people who decide to lose your virginity and not use a condom!
True story: my uncle is HIV positive. He got checked regularly, always was a healthy man, never was promiscuous. You know where he got it from, HIS WIFE of 6 years. Did he see it coming, no. And by the way, his wife is not black, so you can stop with all that black girls ONLY spreading it mumble jumble.
IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE. GET TESTED. BE AWARE. BE INFORMED. STAY SAFE.
The guy in the Youtube video is a loser! I seriously doubt he slept with that many women but if he did, I pray for them. I live in the Bay Area and according to CA Health department 75% of new aids cases in my county (Alameda County, which covers popular cities like Oakland and Berkeley) are African American women between ages 14-35. I try to spread the word I found that most teens think you can look at someone and tell if they got AIDS/HIV I couldn’t believe it.
Please forgive me if I offended anyone….
I did NOT mean to Imply that only young people get STD’s
In fact, a dear dear friend of mine died from HIV two years ago…
She was 42 when she passed away..She caught HIV from her husband (at the time) who was a drug user…
So yes….STD (and HIV) has not age limit or color barrier !
Anyone one of us can get infected at any time (even us married folks).
SO…It’s very important to get tested….
ESPECIALLY us married folk because you’ll be the LAST to know if your husband/wife is creeping or on the downlow….
Btw I pray the youtube clip and the university having 80% of their students test positive is just a way to scare people into getting tested.
Because I know when I get home I am sending that link to everyone I know! I mean everybody women and men alike- friends and foes! Even all the hoes I know.
Question for the Panel:
Is Genital Herpes transmitted through the skin OR through the sexual organs ?
* I read somewhere that you can wear a condom and STILL get Genital Herpes because it occurs Through Skin contact….
Parents cannot moderate a child’s choice of music or lyrics. Only people who don’t have children make such statements, usually. Anyone with a teenager knows that you cannot control every single thing they do especially when they are with friends. All parents can do is TRY to instill morals in their children and teach them to be safe.
———-Sorry to hear about your mom #11 May she rest in peace. I lost a cousin (and
———–his wife) to AIDS. The family doesn’t really talk about it or rather, discuss it
———–in ‘hushed’ tones.
———-Bill i don’t know about Chlamydia (sp?) but there is no known cure for
———–Genital Herpes. And you can get it from someone when it (rashes/wounds or
———–whatever their symptoms are) are active.Meaning it can stay dormant in your
———–partner and you’d never know if they are taking meds for it and don’t
———–tell you. Creepy! Didn’t Mike Vick give it to someone? I always wondered how
———–she couldn’t tell. I fast once a year. Its good for your body if you do it right.
———–While i was researching fasting, i came across the importance of Probiotics
———– and how lacking today’s diet is and also how weak (useless) the popular
———–strains you get in the vitamin isle are. And @#3 Probiotics are also
———–beneficial for autism. So no, i don’t know of any cure neither have i ever had
———–an std but i’m very pro natural remedies so my advice would be to take some
———-(healthy people generally need more probiotics in daily life) and good vitamin
———-and some spirulina. Did you know that spirulina was used on kids from the
———–Chernobyl disaster and it boosted their immune systems? It has also been
———–found to be beneficial with HIV sufferers.
I found this on the web
Young African American Women Suffer a Disproportionate Impact of HIV and AIDS
From 2000 through 2003, HIV and AIDS rates for African American females were 19 times the rates for white females.[3] Moreover, black women accounted for 67 percent of all new AIDS cases among women in 2003 while white females accounted for 15 percent.[1] Yet, black women constituted 13 percent of the U.S. female population and whites constituted at least 66 percent.[5]
In 2003, black teens (ages 13 through 19) comprised 66 percent of AIDS cases in this age group, although they represented only 15 percent of the teenage population. White teens comprised 11 percent of AIDS cases and accounted for 63 percent of the teenage population.[6]
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), black youth comprised the largest single group of young people affected by HIV. As of 2001, they accounted for 56 percent of all HIV infections ever reported among those aged 13 through 24.[7]
i don’t think we should be so quick to believe these “studies.” Did they ask my teen cousins? What about the boys? Or why do we never ever see reports about how many White teen girls have STD’s? Who are these 48%? Every other month it’s a new study about the dire state the Black community is in here in America. We must question the motive here – how does knowing this “information” help these girls? Are more dollars being allocated to social programs and sexual health? NO. Social programs were cut so we could kill people in Iraq. I’m sorry I just will not believe that any one organization (especially the gov’t) can ACCURATELY say almost half of ALL Black teen girls have an STD?!! That’s insame – and it’s negative propoganda. The media is continuing to perpetuate the idea that black women are infected and promiscuos. It’s not helping, it’s harming.
It’s good to live right always. I do have to make a correction. African-American people don’t lead the pack in STD/STI or what ever. I would really love for this myth to be done with.
African-Americans are human like everyone else. What you can say is African-American are leading the pack on what the man want reported as such. Why? because they want to label us sub-human. The playing field is never equal in this country. How many African-American do you know living or have personally died from Aids? Many of us can’t count two, so, where is this great dying African American population.
African-American need to know when it comes to statistics it’s just not reported correctly from the start. I just advice all to live right(sex with spouse) and live healthy, and brush this racism off our shoulders; that’s what kill us. We don’t have great number of high blood pressure because we have some gene, no, because of the pressure of living here in this society is one of the biggest factor. I’m not saying that some of us don’t live risky or unhealthy, but I think the stats need to be fair. I think we need to stop spreading the myths that others say about us. Hell, how can they come to this conclusion that anyone is leading anything when they don’t test everyone.
I applaud CL and J.Dakar for spreading good information to us, but I will not accept the fact that we are this dying, more at risk group. It’s equally disturbing for all races.
This is real talk, and peace out my brothers and sisters.
Back in the day we used to think of each other as “brotherz and Sistaz, now it’s bitch this and Nigga this; this is what kills us. Ignorance! I’m out!
Oh & FYI: The school I attended was in Atlanta, GA.
Another thing people, stop blaming rappers for shit your parents should’ve taught you. I’m not for rappers here or there, but damn, please with this bull crap.
Look at that shit those rockers do. No one talks about how they promote suicide and killing your parents and shitting on your spouse. Yet, this everything is cause by rappers and how rappers make people go crazy, lol!
Rappers vs Rockers same shit! We as African-Americans are so quick to judge each other and silent when it comes to other people doing the same shit. I’m tired of it.
I don’t see any different from those rap video and then Hew Heffner ( that old play boy) piece of crap. No one is dragging those girls to do videos, they volunteer, so how is that any different then those rocker girls?
C’mon people be fair. If we going to talk shit about those rappers, let’s talk shit about those Rockers, their groupies, video hoes too.
#45 I feel you. You see the CDC and the epidemiology task forces deal with Public Health aka the Free Clinic on the corner. Unemployed Blacks have to use these places for healthcare. Thus they are over-represented in these findings. Whites who usually have private insurance can go to their Primary Doctor for their AIDS test and retain their confidentiality.
Protect yourselves people, but don’t believe the hype! We may be suffering but we are not alone.
“How many African-American do you know living or have personally died from Aids? Many of us can’t count two, so, where is this great dying African American population”
Truth be told, a LOT of families will hid the fact that a family member died from HIV
and say that he/she died from a Flu/Pneumonia:/Heart faiulure, etc, etc
When my cousin caught the “package” he moved to florida and told everyone he had sudden weigh loss because of the chemotherapy……
*For the right price, the doctor will put “a related symptom” on the death certificate
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I’m not sure what happend to my last message posted but I’ll repeat myself. Please everyone be smart and protect yourself. I know it’s easier said then done, especially when your caught up in the “moment”. That one moment can be the time your exposed to contract a potential STD from your partner. Rap it up all the time!!!
And also its important to note that AIDs/HIV/STD is not just an African-American problem, its a worldwide problem!
I DONT KNOW WHY PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES
MORE OFTEN THAN THE DESIGNATED MONTHS THESE DISEASES ARE
CONSIDERED “AWARENESS MONTHS”. LETS GET REAL
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THIS!!!
I’ve never been tested for HIV so I’m not sure what information is given when you go in for testing. I just took an entire course on HIV/AIDS my last semester in college and I just wanted to share this bit of information that continues to stick out in my mind…
In the event that a person is infected with HIV there is a 6 week to 3 month window period in which the HIV antibodies develop (which is what you are tested for-the antibodies). During this time period, a person infected with HIV is able to infect others, BUT MAY TEST NEGATIVE for HIV. The MOST INFECTIOUS period for TRANSMITTING HIV from one person to another is soon after they are infected, during the window period. So again, it takes a few weeks or even months for the virus to multiply in your body before your immune system responds. During this time you will not test positive for HIV. When your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies and this will result in a positive test for HIV. It is recommended that you get tested at 3 and 6 months after any possible exposure.
So please make responsible and wise decisons because at the end of the day you are basically placing your life in someone else’s hands. I don’t know about you but the only one I can put all of that trust in is my Lord and Savior!
God Bless!
I remember when me and my boyfriend met one of thefiirst things we did was go get tested together. It created a bond and trust between us. Most importantly it was the responsible thing to do if u plan to have sex (even protected sex) in this day in age. Protected sex isn’t just for one night stands, their for committed couples too. It’s not a game out here. The sad thing about it is when I told my girlfriends about what we did they acted like what we did was insignificant. But I really think that they were afraid to get tested and some are definitely afraid to ask their sexual partner to get tested as well. Gone are the days of living in the oblivion. That may be the last good orgasm u have if u don’t. And yes older get STDs too. There was report out on how high the statistics were for the 55 and over crew (both black and white).Im not in that age group but STDs are prevalent among that population too. For those who have STDS and know it, stop spreading it becuz the next person who get what u helped spread could be someone in ur very own family-The cycle is vicious that’s why it’s called an epidemic.
* Please Excuse the grammatical errors in my post*