Why We Need to Raise Sexual Health Awareness to Young Girls

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) remain to be a prevalent public health concern in Canada. In fact, it has been reported that cases of Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and infectious Syphilis continue to rise since the late 1990s. The saddest part is that the highest reported rates recorded are among young girls.

Most sexual health specialists concur that STIs are alarmingly common among young girls due to lack of sex education. Arkell Walk-In Clinic & Arkell Pharmacy, a Walk-In Clinic in Guelph, Ontario, aims to bridge such insufficiency of sexual health knowledge.

Why do we need to raise sexual health awareness to young girls? Below are some facts that will convince you that young girls should be educated about sexual health:

1. Young females are more vulnerable to STIs.
   The bodies of young females are more susceptible to STIs compared to young males. In a research done by Thomas Wong, Ameeta Singh, Janice Mann, Lisa Hansen, and Sharon McMahon, they explained that a female in early adolescence is at increased risk of STIs because her cervical still comprises an exposed squamocolumnar junction. This supports the growth of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. Since young women are more likely to be infected, there is much need of educating them about sexual health.
2. It’s time to debunk false information.
   A number of young girls are clueless about sexual health problems. They don’t know how STIs are contracted. There are even a few who believe that you can get STI from toilet seats. While it may sound funny and unrealistic, it still imposes danger to people who are unaware of the truth. This should serve as an ample proof that we need to educate young girls about sexual health.
3. Infected individuals have more than one STI.
   Not using or not knowing how to use contraceptives, particularly condoms, make them susceptible of not just one STI. Having one doesn’t imply that they’re free from not contracting other STIs.
4. Infected individuals are unaware that they have it.
   Nearly all young females who were tested positive of an STI were unaware that they’re infected. This is because of most STIs, such as Chlamydia and Herpes Simplex 2, have no symptoms. This makes it also difficult for the state to track how many people are infected.
5. The infection can cause infertility.
   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are important preventable causes of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Chlamydia and PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues, which can lead to infertility. CDC recommends annual Chlamydia and Gonorrhea screening of all sexually active women below twenty-five years old.

The incidence of STIs is not only a public health concern in Canada but also in the whole world. Get help now. Arkell Walk-In Clinic & Arkell Pharmacy offers a wide array of Medical Services in Ontario. This includes tackling about your sexual health concerns. To find out more about our walk-in clinic, feel free to contact 519-822-7841.