First, I will start out by saying that one of the main reasons STD’s have risen in Sioux Falls is because of the lack of education and a puritanical view of teenagers and young adults abstaining from sex. It just isn’t happening, and we need to face the facts. Still it doesn’t stop people from blaming others;
“It’s because the media sells sex,†said Caitlin Hicks, 22, a coffee shop worker in Sioux Falls.
Well, Caitlin, I certainly cannot remember the last time a TV commercial or a newspaper ad gave me an itchy scratchy, but I will be on the lookout. We can blame the media for a lot things these days, mostly mis-information, but saying they contribute to STD’s is silly. In fact I have never gotten one. Why? First I believe receiving sex ed at an early age (I think my first class was in 4th or 5th grade) better prepared me when I became a teenager. And I remember seeing images of certain STD’s in a HS science class. WOW, that will open your eyes. I am also a firm believer of ‘planning’ pregnancies. Too often couples just kind of fly by the seat of their pants and don’t really put any thought in the repercussions of having an unplanned child. I also think demographics have a lot to do with our sudden rise in STD’s. Working class and lower income people tend to be less educated when it comes to sex and it’s repercussions.
As a person who has been single my entire adult life, I can tell you I have seen and heard just about every scenario possible, and if you think people are getting safer with age, you are wrong. My best advice to anyone starting a relationship with someone is to take it slow. Know who your partner is and if you are not planning on having children, I highly suggest birth control, namely condoms. And most importantly, don’t be a skank.