Young adults may be at high risk for STIs due to both behavioral
and biological susceptibility. While AIDS awareness campaigns
have alerted youth in general to the dangers of HIV, many still
believe "it can't happen to me" and continue high-risk
behaviors. Also, many lack knowledge of other STIs. Many youth,
even if they know about the risks of STIs, do not use condoms
consistently or correctly. Young adults may lack communication
and negotiation skills, making condom use difficult. When youth
are coerced into having sexual relations, they cannot negotiate
condom use.
Other high-risk behaviors include having multiple partners
or a partner with multiple partners. This can include either
having multiple partners at the same time, or having a series
of monogamous relationships. Those who are married may be knowingly
or unknowingly at increased risk for STIs due to extramarital
sexual activities of either partner. Other factors that appear
to increase the incidence of high-risk behavior include drug
and alcohol use.
Women appear to be more susceptible to STIs than men, due to
biological factors. Young women may be even more susceptible
because of cervical ectopy. This is a normal condition that
is present in most female adolescents and becomes less common
with age. Cervical ectopy develops when the cells that line
the inside of the cervical canal extend onto the outer surface
of the cervix. These cells are more vulnerable to infections,
such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. Also, theoretically, the cervical
mucus in young women is less thick, possibly making them more
susceptible to infection.
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