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Messages for youth:
- All sexual activity puts them
at risk for STIs/HIV
- Safest sexual behavior is abstinence
- For those sexually active, safe sexual behaviors
include:
- Assessing if partner is infected
- Mutual monogamy
- Reducing number of sexual partners
- Using condoms
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Counseling for STI prevention is essential. Youth need to understand
that sexual activity, both heterosexual and homosexual, puts
them at risk for STI/HIV transmission and that they are particularly
vulnerable. They need to understand that the safest sexual behavior
is abstinence. For those who choose to be sexually active, safer
behaviors include assessing if their partner is infected, mutual
monogamy, reducing the number of partners, engaging in low-risk
sexual practices such as mutual masturbation, and using condoms.
Condoms need to be made readily available to young adults, even
those who are not yet sexually active, so that they are prepared
for future sexual activity. Young adults need to understand
the importance of consistent condom use and be shown how to
use condoms correctly.
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