Sexually transmitted infections are not new issues within the human population. In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur each year (Wasik). Although, people have advanced in educating others about the risks, prevention methods and treatments, the occurrence of STIs continue to increase. There are many ways to prevent STIs and risk factors that one should understand before becoming sexually active. It's vital for a person to understand the information in their education of sex, lack of understanding can result in a person coming in contact with an STI and potentially being diagnosed with something more serious, like cancer. Researchers have been looking for ways to diminish STIs altogether and continue to do so every day. Teaching the risk factors of contracting an STI is a very important way to prevent them from spreading, and indirectly preventing more causes and cases of cancer around the world. .
There are many factors that increase the risk of contracting an STI. These factors include unprotected sex, sexual contact with multiple partners, a history of STIs, abusing alcohol or using recreational drugs, injecting drugs and being an adolescent female. Another way to transmit an STI is mother to infant at birth or during breast feeding (Mayo, "Risk"). Sexually transmitted infections can be transmitted through sexual activity involving four parts of the human body, the mouth, anus, vagina and penis. With skin to skin contact, a person with an open sore, cut or opening in the mouth is more likely to contract an STI if their partner is infected. The organisms that cause sexually transmitted infections may pass person to person in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk; despite belief a person cannot contract an STI from saliva. Not all STIs have to be contracted sexually.
