Safe sex is the best sex

Human nature is pretty simple at times. We tend to respond to dramatic events, loud situations, or anything that catches our attention in a grand fashion. However, small, incremental differences can sometimes be ignored or thought to be non-important. Stable circumstances can often give a false sense of security.

Hypertension is an excellent medical example of this theory. Although the individual with elevated blood pressure may feel fine, microvascular damage is occurring within their bodies. Another more frightening example of false security is AIDS.

During the peak of the AIDS epidemic, people were terrified. The emaciated faces and bodies of AIDS patients were the hallmark signs at that time. Cities with large gay populations, such as San Francisco and New York, were hit hard.  At that time, death was the usual outcome of the disease.

Currently there are approximately 13,000 deaths from AIDS per year as compared to roughly 50,000 back in the early 1990s. The medical advances as they relate to AIDS are beyond remarkable. AIDS, if treated early and appropriately, is no longer an automatic death sentence. The face of an AIDS patient is no longer easily identifiable. In fact, I invite you to look in the mirror. Your face would be a perfect example of the face of someone with AIDS. 

Because people with AIDS like Magic Johnson are living longer, I personally believe the community has become lax regarding the importance of HIV prevention. HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is  the virus that causes AIDS. The virus attacks the cells that fight off infections and causes individuals to be susceptible to illnesses that would generally not be deadly.

We have known for quite some time that HIV is found in seminal or vaginal fluids, amniotic fluids, or blood. Yet, in a 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, 43 percent of teens who had been sexually active within the past three months did not use protection during intercourse. Risky behavior, however, was not limited to just adolescents. Seventy percent of men over 50 did not use a condom when they engaged in sexual intercourse with a stranger. This trend also extends into the nursing homes, where condoms are not being used as universally as they should.

In my opinion and the opinion of many other concerned providers, there are many reasons for this casual attitude toward universal STD precautions. First and foremost, it is hard for people to fear something that they cannot feel, see, or touch. Secondly, as adult women age and periods stop, the sexual apprehension they experienced in the past vanishes. Thirdly, there are numerous false beliefs regarding sexual behavior. For instance, many girls falsely believe that if they have not  participated in intercourse but have only engaged in oral sex, then they are protected from getting an STD.

So as we begin the new year, let’s get the record straight: Engaging in unprotected sexual behaviors places you at risk of being infected with a deadly virus and progressing to full-blown AIDS.  Though the new antiviral medications can improve the lives of those infected with HIV, they are not miracle drugs and must be taken daily.

HIV has not been eradicated. It is still very much present and can result in death if not properly treated. Therefore, please abide by the most important rule: Safe sex is the best sex.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., is assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine and the medical accuracy editor of The St. Louis American. Email her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com.