Sexual-Transmitted Diseases as a Consequences of Non-Safe Sex

Sex, one of life’s basic properties which is connected to reproduction. The capacity to generate individuals and to populate the world. Sex’s basic nesesities to reproduce is between a male and female, yet with the growing generations and the evolution of mixed individuals in the world, caution should always be taken when in the middle of intercourse. Sex which leads to sexual transmitted diseases are often lead to death if not treated properly. Education on these topics are denied in American Samoa because of old traditions in keeping sexual related topics or a person's sexuality, under the rug. The people of American Samoa need to educate themselves on sex and the consequences that follow when not taking precautions, and the only way to for that to happen is letting the educational system offer a course on it.

Sex is something that is not broady talked or discussed about because of its meaning. Yet sex is something that should be talked about because it is a part of our lives and how we reproduce. “Sex is a way of distinguishing male and female members of a species, usually be referencing their reproductive functions. Sex refers to coitus or intercourse, and act that can result in reproduction. Sex refers to genitals” ( Silverburg, Cory). When we talk about sex, we tend to think that we know all that there is to know about the subject, but we don’t. We all have questions and concerns about it, yet we won’t bring up the subject. The people of American Samoa need to educate themselves on sex and the consequences that follow when not taking precautions, and the only way to for that to happen is letting the educational system offer course on it.

Our reproduction system depends on sex to obtain the capability of reproducing individuals, yet there are advantages and disadvantages in sexual reproduction. In a sexual reproduction, it is between two individuals that are trying to reproduce an offspring. “Sexual reproduction introduces new gene combinations in a population through genetic recombination. The influx of new gene combinations allows members of a species to survive adverse or deadly environmental changes and conditions. This is a major advantage that sexually reproducing organisms have over those that reproduce asexually.” (Baily, Regina). Even with the advantages in sexual reproduction there are many disadvantages in sexual reproduction. The time and energy a person has to take for reproduction is a lot, and the caution that would have to be taken when an offspring is formed is one of it’s critical stages in life. Many things can happen during sexual intercouse, an unwanted pregnancy, sexual transmitted diseases, birth defects, and so much more if precaution is not taken.

For instance, “Reproduction is not a continuous activity and is subject to certain patterns and cycles. Oftentimes these patterns and cycles may be linked to environmental conditions which allow organisms to reproduce effectively” (Baily, Regina). “The reproductive system is a collection of internal and external organs — in both males and females — that work together for the purpose of procreating, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Due to its vital role in the survival of the species, many scientists argue that the reproductive system is among the most important systems in the entire body.” (Zimmerman, Kim Ann).

“According to research there are 49.5 percent of women around the world, so that means that there’s a little bit more men than women.” (world bank). So to put it in a more simple manner, a person’s sex is easily determined by what they can reproduce. A women produces a baby while the men provides the sperm for the offspring. Each person has a reproductive system within them, whether it be male or female. Yet some humans, are more special. “Some humans are born with parts of both male and female reproductive systems or incomplete reproductive organs of one sex or the other. Those with both male and female reproductive parts are considered intersex. Sometimes children are labeled as male or female, depending on how complete or functional one sexual reproductive system is over the other. Then, the other organs are removed.”(Zimmerman, Kim Ann) Sexual Transmitted Disease, or better known as STD is something that cause permanent damage to a person’s reproductive system, and can lead to death. There are various amounts of diseases that can affect a person’s health when they are not using protection during intercourse.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency) Infections

Everyone knows about HIV and its leading causes of death for youths between the ages of and years old. “Currently in the U.S. HIV infections is the seventh leading cause of death within the youths of today, during 2001-2004, in the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV reporting, there were 17,824 persons 13-14 years of age diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, of whom 62% were males.” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017). While HIV/AIDS is still incurable with early diagnosis and treatments, it can still help those who want to live a long and somewhat normal life. Yet, with all the help and the research that goes into finding a cure, the inevitable is that there might never be a cure to this sexual transmitted diseases.

Chlamydia

This is one of the most prevalent bacterial STI for women and young girls. “Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria which can infect the urethra and the cervix, common in girls ages 15-19, without early treatment it can cause severe pain in the pelvic area, causing damage to the female infertility” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017). This common disease when found in its early stages it can be treated with antibiotics. When diagnosed with this, you should at least not have sexual intercourse until it passes, because your partner can catch it. “Medication for this disease should not be shared with anyone because of the different amounts of medicine a person’s body can take. Although the medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease” (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).

Genital Warts and Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Many do not know about this disease because it is hardly heard about in the United States and in American Samoa. This virus is passed down from one person to another during unprotected sex and causes benign genital warts. “HPV is another, often silent, STI. According to the National Institute of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, almost half the women harboring the virus exhibit no symptoms at all. Genital warts typically appear in clusters inside and outside the vagina, the cervix and/or the anus. Male venereal warts, which are far less common, form on the penis, the scrotum and/or around the anus. The pinkish or flesh-colored growths often vanish on their own.” ( Center of Diseases Control and Prevention, 2016). This common diseases can also cause or lead to cancer.

STD/AIDS

As mentioned in my other findings, STD is one of the most leading causes of death for the younger generations. Yet, HIV (as mentioned above) is a virus that causes AIDS. It damages your immune system, making it easier for you to catch a sickness or anything that can harm you. These type of disease can be prevented by wearing a condom during sex. In American Samoa, there have been some cases about HIV/AIDS on young high school students, that they got from a teacher or better yet their partner. Also in American Samoa, I have learned the SOFIAS, Society Of Fa’afafine In American Samoa, a well known organization of transgenders get tested every month for HIV/AIDS to prevent this like this happening.

Some people may think that HIV and AIDS are the same thing but it is not. HIV is the virus that’s passed down from one person to another. “Over time, HIV destroys an important kind of the cell in your immune system (called CD4 cells or T cells) that helps protect you from infections. When you don’t have enough of these CD4 cells, your body can’t fight off infections the way it normally can.” ( Planned Parenthood, 2018). Yet, AIDS is the disease caused by the damaged that HIV does to your immune system. You have AIDS when you get a dangerous infections or have a super low number of CD4 cells. AIDS is the most serious stages of HIV, and it leads to death over time. The treatment for these is simple, there is no cure. Over the 10 years of treatment for someone with HIV, as I stated before, it can slow down the process, but it won’t cure or repair the damage it has caused already.

In American Samoa, there is limited supply to treat diseases like these. The LBJ Hospital often go through crisis because of the limited supply and have to seek help elsewhere, like the states or other neighboring islands that offer the treatments. Even with the supplies that the hospital have, treatment is also the last choice when it comes to situations like this when education should have been offered to the people so they know the do’s and don’ts of sex. The people of American Samoa is so old tradition that something’s that need to be discussed is often left in the dark or swept under the rug. Only to find out that the simple things that could have been prevented is now something that causing distress and confusion.

In a community that is strictly about protecting and loving your kids, sex education is more important than ever. With so many children getting a wrap about the idea of sex from the internet, pornography, we need to insure that future leaders of our communities are taught about it properly from a young age. And everything starts from home, from parents, from your children’s first teachers. “A study produced by the NSPCC and commissioned by The Telegraph last year made for upsetting reading. In a survey of 11- to 18-year-olds, almost a third believe pornography dictates the way you should behave in a relationship. Many girls think they have to “look and perform like porn stars” in order to be liked by boys, the NSPCC also found.

Meanwhile, experts at ChildLine say that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the past 12 months in boys calling specifically to talk about pornography – about how guilty and confused it’s making them feel. Last year alone, 50 girls called the service every day because they felt under pressure to have sex. “ (Barnett, Emma, 2014). Seeing that only a handful of parents are able to talk to their kids about sex and the consequences that often follow through, there is still so much that can be done with the help of the education system, but as a young Samoan male that will never happen.

If the kids can not talk to their parents about it, then at least they can depend on the education system (teachers) to at least teach them about it, because as we all know sex is a part of life, everyone will go through it (if you don’t plan on becoming a nun or pastor). “Effective sex and relationship education would ideally achieve four things: it would put sex into a healthy context as an enjoyable and safe activity; it would clearly let young people know that there should never be any pressure to have sex in any circumstances; it would free them of the notion they needed ever to film or photograph themselves sexually and share the images online with others; and it would coherently explain the new pressures that technology brings to this area of life” ( Barnett, Emma, 2014).

With the world changing and the modern days increasing and influencing the generations, we should at least put our money where the real problem is and that is in the educational system and to force or influence them to create programs or course that can offer educational help or advice about sex and everything that relates to the subject. We can only do so much to try and push the system to offer these course but it is up to the higher power of the food chain to see the importance of offering sex education in high school. Everyone has questions concerning sex, sexual transmitted diseases and everything bad that comes along with it. Yet what can we do when nothing is being offered and the only way to find out about it is when it’s too late.

“There's nothing simple about teaching kids about sex. In these times of precocious pre-teens, pregnancy among teenagers, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs), children and adolescents need much more than a one-time chat about the birds and the bees. Pregnancy prevention and safe sex really should be ongoing, age-appropriate topics” ( Boskey, Elizabeth, 2019). Sometimes just saying “no” to sex really doesn’t work. People get curious and when they do, they often tend to test their curiosity. Just because they won’t say no to having sex, letting them know about the ways to have it more safely is better than having them no hear about it.

So in conclusion, sex, sexual transmitted disease and treatments, sex education and its importances, all play a role in the way of life. For you to reproduce you need to have sex, because it is the only way. You can have sex but at least be safe and secure about it. Because unprotected sex can lead to a lot of things including death, and that is something that should be happening. With the increase in technology and the evolving of the human species something like sex should not be an issues to have a discussion about. The people of American Samoa need to know that sex is not a bad things, and something mixing the old ways and the modernize way is what the world does. We have to adapt ourselves to the outside world in order to learn more about it. The people of American Samoa need to educate themselves on sex and the consequences that follow when not taking precautions, and the only way to for that to happen is letting the educational system offer a course on it.