RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC April 7, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The American Social Health Association (ASHA) has published a large survey on American attitudes towards sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The survey was conducted to assess the sexual attitudes, behaviors and knowledge of STDs of Americans aged 18-35. It reveals that up to 82% of those surveyed who are sexually active do not think themselves at risk of a sexually transmitted disease. The ASHA said that there are more than 170,000 hepatitis A and B infections each year in the US, but those surveyed said that they know the least about these diseases. A large number of those surveyed failed to recognize that hepatitis A and B are transmitted through sexual contact.
In February, the Allan Guttmacher Institute published a report that said that 27 million Americans under the age of 25 are sexually active. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there were 18.9 million new cases of STDs in 2000. Of these cases, 48 percent were among young people aged 15 to 24. That means one-third of all sexually active young adults and teens contracted an STD in 2000 alone.
The report’s authors express dismay at the lack of knowledge and the fact that so many American young people will not use “protection” against sexually transmitted diseases. “The findings in our survey are quite disturbing. Despite the fact that STDs are extremely widespread and have severe consequences, it is troubling that there is such a large portion of people who still feel invincible,” said James R. Allen, president and chief executive officer of ASHA.
In July, 2001, the US government issued a report that called into doubt the popular theory that spreading the word about condom use, and making condoms more widely available will solve the problem of the growth of STD’s. Tom Coburn, when he was a Republican House member from Oklahoma said, “For decades, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to promote an unsubstantiated claim that promiscuity can be safe. We all now know for a fact that that is a lie.”
Reuters coverage of the ASHA survey:
https://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ODSGOKUAOKLBSCRBAEKSFEY?type=topNews&storyID=4765408&pageNumber=1
LifeSiteNews.com coverage on the 2001 report: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jul/01072004.html