Sexually Transmitted Diseases are exactly what they say they are "diseases transmitted through sex". More recently some people refer to STD's as STI's prefereing to use "infection" rather than "disease". Either way, whether "disease" or "infection", you don't want them and you certainly don't want to get them through sex.

While that sounds simple enough, the problem is in defining "sex". Teens and young adults often do not have an understanding or a concrete, solid, clearly comprehensible definition of sex. Sex from one person's view point may not be the same as from someone else. But in reality, sex is sex and is the same regardless of what some people may say.

An uncertain or imprecise understanding of sex can result in painful physical, emotional, mental, social, or moral consequences that were unexpected because the person having sex did not know the possible consequences. On the other hand, sex is, can be, and was intended to be the most wonderful of human experiences possible.

Two people having sex can wrongly think that consequences are not real or possible. But the truth is there are always consequences following sex. It is not possible to have sex without consequences. Not all consequences happen right away, some happen later, not all consequences are good and some bad. Not all consequences are private and some can become public.

While there are emotional, mental, social, and moral consequences following sex, the physical consequences that can result from having sex can be:

Pregnancy
Bodily harm or destruction to a particular body part, sexual organ or tissue
Bodily pain to a particular body part, sexual organ or tissue
Diseases passed from one person to another person through sex
Death.

STD's are the result of having sex that physically effect a person's body. But having sex does not mean a particular consequence will occur. A consequence "can" happen, but it might not. The point is that anytime anyone has sex, consequences are unavoidable.

There are many ways to have sex or perhaps more easily understood, there are many ways to be touched or touch personal body parts. Sex simply understood is "anytime anyone touches you or you touch anyone on a private body part".

Personal body parts carry fluids. Body fluids are what carry bacteria and viruses that can be passed from one person to another through sex or more simply described as one person touching or being touched by another person. Whenever body fluids pass from one person to another there is a risk of contaminating one person with another person's infected body fluids.

There are two categories of STD's: Bacterial and Viral

Bacterial diseases and infectsion transmit from one person to another through sex.

Viral diseases and infections transmit from one person to another through sex.

But there is a big difference between Bacterial infections and Viral infections.

Bacterial STD's
Since Bacteria are living organisms that grow inside a person's body, these living organisms that are passed from one person to another can be killed with anti-bacterial medications. Anti-bacterial medications can destroy the living bacteria that can harm the body. Once the bacteria are destroyed, so too is the infection. But all the bacteria must be destroyed or else the bacteria will continue to live, thrive, and grow.

While medical research has identified over 25 STD's, the most common Bacterial STD's are: Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Trichomonas.

If a Bacterial STD is not quickly eliminated from growing in the body, the damage that the bacteria causes as it lives and grows can cause permanent damage to human organs and tissues, particular sexual organs and tissues. That is, even though the bacteria may eventually be diagnosed and eliminated, the damage may have already been done.

Viral STD's
Viral STD's are not the same as Bacterial STD's and can not be medically treated the same way. Whereas Bacterium as a living organism in the body can be eliminated, Viruses can not be removed. Once a virus is in the body, it remains in the body. A virus is not a bacterium and a virus can not be destroyed with anti-bacterial drugs.

In effect, once you get the virus you always have the virus unless you have been vaccinated prior to getting the virus. Vaccinations are only useful to prevent viral infections, not cure them once the viral infection has invaded the body.

The most common Viral STD's are: Viral Hepatitis (B or C), Oral Herpes Simplex type 1 (Herpes infections of the mouth), Genital Herpes Simplex type 2 (Herpes infections of the genitals), Human Papilloma Virus (a symptom is often genital warts), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which eventfully leads to the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and ultimately death.

What is important to know is that there are no cures for Viral STD's. Once you acquire a viral infectious disease through sex or through contact and contamination with any infected body fluid, you will always have the viral infection and will always have consequences for having it in your body.

STD Prevention
There is only one way to absolutely 100% avoid acquiring infected body fluids from another person when having sex and that is to not have sex.

Regardless of how a person comes into contact with another person's body fluids that carry infectious bacterias or viruses, fluids are what carry bacteria and viruses. Sex is the easiest way to transfer infected body fluids from one person to another person. The sex drive in some people overpowers rational behavior and logic with disregard for consequences to themselves or the person with whom they have sex.

That is why individual and community understanding and pursuit of sexual integrity, purity, chastity, and wholeness, are so central in not acquiring STD's.