Protecting our teens from rare STDs - Trichomoniasis

I guess in a way this advice is as much for our own benefit as it is for our kids.

One thing I will have to criticise the Australian public education system for, is how basic the Sex Ed curriculum is.

With the number of teen pregnancies each year on the rise, and more and more people contracting AIDS and other STD's, dont you think it would benefit our country if our children  were taught a bit more on how extremely dangerous and irresponsible unprotected sex is? In fact, lets make this a world wide thing. Do the children in your country get taught all they should be when it regards their sexual health?

Ive taken it upon myself to research for the benefit of the Minti Community, and for their children, some of the 'not quire so common' Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

I also plan on doing some advice on more common STDs but I thought it was more important to get the word out there about these diseases first:

Trichomoniasis:

What is Trichomoniasis?

Trichomoniasis is one of the most common (although often mis-diagnosed) STD's amongst women. Men do contract it, but the majority of patients are women. Statistically, 7.4 million men and women are infected each year. Trichomoniasis is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. Most men don't show visual signs of infection and are therefore misdiagnosed as having a UTI (Urinary tract infection). Occasionally men may have a slight burning in the urethral passage, and may pass some slight discharge.

Occasionally, women are mis-diagnosed as having thrush or a UTI, as some women produce a frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge, as well as itching and irritation after intercourse and urinating.

In cases where a woman is pregnant it can cause her baby to have a low birth-weight.

How is it treated?

Usually, medication is prescribed (either metronidazole or tinidazole in most cases) and usually it takes no more than a single dose to cure all symptoms. These medications are suitable for pregnant women, however once you have taken the medication, it does not mean you wont catch it again in the future if you dont use precautions.

How can I avoid another infection of this disease?

Abstainance from all sexual contact is your best bet. If that's not possible, always use a condom in the correct manner and dont have skin to skin contact.

References were taken and reworded from: www.cdc.gov