Stigma surrounding STI poses threat

Jasper Winterton
Feature Editor

“With sexual activity being so normalized for teenagers, STI’s [sexually transmitted infections] are serious things that have taken too many lives.” an anonymous junior said.

According to the World Health Organization, over 30 known viruses, infections and bacterias are known to be spread by sexual contact- some of which can be deadly.

In Missouri, most clinics do not require parental or guardian involvement for STI testing; however, it depends on the specific clinic. Along with this, according to Missouri state laws, schools are not required to teach sex education, and it is fully up to the school board. At Webster, sex education is taught in Hixson health classes and high school biology classes.

“So many people are concerned about the pregnancy aspect of it, but STIs should be treated just as seriously,” the junior said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that one in five people in the United States have an STI, and almost half of STIs are reported in people ages 15-24.

According to Nathan Ratchford, gynecologist, and Cory Offutt, family medicine doctor, most STIs are manageable, but not all can be cured. Some STIs that are unable to be cured are herpes and HIV.

“There’s not as much talk and education about STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] and STIs in general. Outside of sex education we don’t learn about what to do if you get one, and we aren’t really given resources for testing and stuff like that,” the junior said.

In Missouri, it is illegal for public schools to provide any form of birth control or contraceptives to students.

While Missouri state laws say that it is not required to educate students on sexual activity, according to Ratchford and Offutt, many common misconceptions regarding STDs/STIs can mislead people into thinking the infections are not as serious as they are. Along with this, it is common for people to not experience any symptoms and blindly spread STIs to their sexual partner(s).

“Another aspect is that people are scared. It feels like if they pretend nothing is happening, then they have nothing to worry about, but that won’t help treat it,” Rachel Huertas, school nurse, said.

According to Planned Parenthood, the stigma surrounding STIs and sexual intercourse in general can be crucial to people’s mental and physical health. Due to the stigma, people who have STIs are likely to develop anxiety or depression, and specifically 36% of people diagnosed with herpes suffer from suicidal ideation. With the shame society places on people who are sexually active, it can make it extremely hard and scary to seek treatment.

Some clinics that offer STI treatment and testing for minors include Total Access Urgent Care and The SPOT (Washington University). STI kits are also available at drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, and stores like Walmart and Target. Tests can range from $40-200.