Condoms are the Best Way to Prevent STDs

Throughout the world, governments push the use of condoms to prevent AIDS/HIV. With AIDS being such a horrific epidemic in countries all around the world, it is understandable why the media gives the issue of safe sex from AIDS more airtime; however, British researchers have recently begun to questions whether effective and consistent use of condoms will also help quell the number of cases of other less talked about sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia and genital herpes.

According to Willard Cates and Markus Steiner, both from Family Health International (a nonprofit organization which strives to improve lives all over the world through education, services and research in family health), condoms are currently the best  method of preventing uninfected sexually active people from acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. They are also an infected sexually active person’s best bet in reducing the risk of spreading infections and disease. Cates and Steiner point to research that has demonstrated a condom’s ability to effectively obstruct sexually transmitted disease-causing microorganism from passing through the latex. Two studies in particular detail support that condoms, when used effectively and consistently, reduce the risk of men and women contracting genital herpes, HPV (human papillomavirus infection), chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Despite these studies, many countries are still dealing with controversy when it comes to pushing the use of condoms. Some who feel that condoms should not be publicly promoted stress that by doing so, the government is saying it is okay to have casual sex encounters. Others point out that while condoms are one of the best safeguards we have against sexually transmitted diseases, they are still not one hundred percent effective and should not be promoted as such. These people feel that when promoting condoms, there should be literature and messages attached about reducing and avoiding risk. Their ABC approach focuses on remaining abstinent (for 100% effectiveness against STDs), staying in a monogamous and faithful relationship and using condoms. This last point is crucial to those who advocate this approach. These advocates feel that medical personnel and the government should stress that condoms need to be utilized both effectively and consistently in order to reduce the risk of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases.

Stephen Genius who represents the University of Alberta feels that a more inclusive approach should be taken. In his writings, he states that condoms should not be seen as the be all and end all of safeguards against sexually transmitted diseases. One point he stresses is that when having sexual intercourse, there is usually skin to skin contact in areas of the genitalia that are not protected by the condom. In addition, he writes that the younger generation, despite being educated about condom use, does not use condoms consistently - an important element in guarding against sexually transmitted diseases. His research uses as a basis several research studies in countries known for their higher-quality sex education programs (for example, Sweden and Switzerland) where sexually transmitted diseases have not seen gone down in number. Other research studies indicate that in countries like Cambodia, where numbers of sexually transmitted diseases have gone down over the years are more representative of the population having fewer casual sexual encounters and the decrease in paid-for-sex labor instead of increased condom usage. Genius also cites data garnered by the World Health Organization (WHO) that states 2/3rd of all sexual infections that occur throughout the world are seen in younger generations. Genius feels this is strong evidence backing his argument considering that it is this younger generation that condom education is geared towards.

Despite the differing opinions concerning condom education, the fact of the matter remains that condoms offer the most protection of sexually transmitted diseases over any other method other than abstinence. Nobody can argue that when it comes to condom usage, education is key and effective consistency is king.