Most people know about sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Many kids learn about them in school, and people of a certain age remember the fear of AIDS in the '80s and '90s all too well. However, even armed with this knowledge, the prevalence of STDs is higher than ever, according to the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Nearly 20 million people contract a sexually transmitted disease every year, and half of those are in people aged 15 to 24. A whopping 110 million Americans have an STD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included eight STDs in the analysis: chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), HIV, human papilloma virus (HPV, also known as genital warts), syphilis and trichomoniasis. So why are so many people throwing caution to the wind? It may be due to the misperception that most STDs are treatable, cause no complications and aren't worth worrying about in the heat of the moment. Many young people today believe people simply don't die of AIDS anymore, which simply isn't true.
HIV is a more treatable condition with the right drug regimen; however, it is still fatal. Though American schools tend to teach abstinence and contraception, the ramifications and methods of transmission of STDs aren't as prolific. CDC experts also claim that young people don't know how to get tested or prevent infection, thus the increase in numbers. Another surprising demographic at risk more than ever for contracting STDs are seniors. Experts theorize that baby boomers who came of age during the sexual revolution simply never stopped being sexually active. With a high divorce rate and many drugs that treat erectile dysfunction, HIV diagnoses have doubled from the period of 2000 to 2009, and within the same time period, chlamydia infections had nearly tripled. Researchers suggest doctors who prescribe drugs such as Viagra should have conversations with their patients about STDs and getting tested.