After pouring through thousands of pages of healthcare reform, I was certain that I would finally come across a topic that so desperately needed attention. With nineteen million new cases of STD infections each year in the U.S., it seemed natural that there would be an entire section, or at least a paragraph, devoted to this critical topic. After finally coming across it, I nearly wish that I hadn't. The entire amount that our government plans on spending on this pandemic is one hundred and fifty million dollars. At only fifty cents per person, that is an embarrassing amount .
If you think that you couldn't possibly be affected by this, you are wrong. Over half of these infections hit people between the ages of 15 and 24. That means that they are your siblings, your nieces, your nephews, or perhaps even your children. And in situations where you don't even know or come across the person who is recently infected, you'd be surprised to find out how many times it's your tax dollars that go for their treatment.
STDs cost our healthcare system billions of dollars each year, so a few hundred million isn't really such a large sum relatively speaking. With nearly $16 billion spent to fight the effects of these diseases, it would only make sense to spend a much larger proportion in order to fight them off before they even happen. Due to the silent and often deadly nature of these diseases, a proactive approach is an absolute essential.
STD testing, along with a willingness for more open and honest talk regarding STDs, can be a simple and effective way to fight this epidemic. While sex education in schools is a much debated topic, our society needs to find a better way of communicating the dire consequences of spur of the moment decisions. If you talk with most teenagers who are considering having sex, the majority of them will tell you that their major concern is an unwanted pregnancy. What they also need to be concerned with are the many different life threatening conditions that STDs bring to play.
Let's face it: sex is here to stay and that is never going to change. The advent of the birth control pill has given many people a false sense of confidence and has made them feel that they have done enough towards the goal of sexual responsibility . The truth, however, is that it's also opened up a Pandora's box of other issues that are still seldom ever talked about. Europe has shown us that it is possible to strike the right balance. They are much more sexually active, and much more sexually open too. It's the latter part that has led them to have a much lower STD rate than our nation.
Just last year $400 million was placed into the stimulus bill to provide for STD testing and HIV testing. However, both parties had a change of heart for some reason and quickly removed it. We should be united in this effort, as this investment can help trim our nations skyrocketing healthcare costs for us and future generations . Until then, however, we will continue to pay the price for this and other comparable past decisions.
If you think that you couldn't possibly be affected by this, you are wrong. Over half of these infections hit people between the ages of 15 and 24. That means that they are your siblings, your nieces, your nephews, or perhaps even your children. And in situations where you don't even know or come across the person who is recently infected, you'd be surprised to find out how many times it's your tax dollars that go for their treatment.
STDs cost our healthcare system billions of dollars each year, so a few hundred million isn't really such a large sum relatively speaking. With nearly $16 billion spent to fight the effects of these diseases, it would only make sense to spend a much larger proportion in order to fight them off before they even happen. Due to the silent and often deadly nature of these diseases, a proactive approach is an absolute essential.
STD testing, along with a willingness for more open and honest talk regarding STDs, can be a simple and effective way to fight this epidemic. While sex education in schools is a much debated topic, our society needs to find a better way of communicating the dire consequences of spur of the moment decisions. If you talk with most teenagers who are considering having sex, the majority of them will tell you that their major concern is an unwanted pregnancy. What they also need to be concerned with are the many different life threatening conditions that STDs bring to play.
Let's face it: sex is here to stay and that is never going to change. The advent of the birth control pill has given many people a false sense of confidence and has made them feel that they have done enough towards the goal of sexual responsibility . The truth, however, is that it's also opened up a Pandora's box of other issues that are still seldom ever talked about. Europe has shown us that it is possible to strike the right balance. They are much more sexually active, and much more sexually open too. It's the latter part that has led them to have a much lower STD rate than our nation.
Just last year $400 million was placed into the stimulus bill to provide for STD testing and HIV testing. However, both parties had a change of heart for some reason and quickly removed it. We should be united in this effort, as this investment can help trim our nations skyrocketing healthcare costs for us and future generations . Until then, however, we will continue to pay the price for this and other comparable past decisions.
About the Author:
Want to read more from Andrew M. Gibson? You can find him on facebook, or check out his blog at www.stdtestingservices.com. There you can also learn more about std testing and how to find std testing centers.
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