Study: Risky Sex Can Lead to Early Death
by Stuart Shepard, correspondent

Government report on health impact of risky behavior should raise eyebrows.

The public health impact of risky sexual behavior in the United States is three times higher than in other developed nations, according to research by the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC says risky sex habits resulted in nearly 30,000 deaths and about 20 million adverse health consequences in a single year. The majority of deaths involved men with HIV, while the majority of adverse health consequences were among women.

Dr. Hal Wallis, an OB-GYN and executive board member of the Physicians Consortium, said a common—and false—impression is that diseases other than HIV are somewhat minor and have no impact.

"Women are much more susceptible to these diseases," Wallis said, "and they suffer a great deal of the consequences—more serious consequences than men do; particularly the consequences of gonorrhea and Chlamydia, which can produce severe infections and, in some instances, death."

The CDC researchers used their results to encourage so-called "safe sex"—a fact that bothers Robert Rector of The Heritage Foundation.

"The reality is," Rector said, "that condoms and contraceptives don't really protect against HPV—and the safe sex industry and safe sex curricula hide this fact."

Rector points out that almost all cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus.

"About 50 percent of sexually active teenagers have been infected by human papillomavirus," he said, "and about one in seven of those young women are going to develop pre-cancerous conditions requiring some type of treatment."

Wallis added that the only true "safe sex" is to have only one lifetime partner in a monogamous relationship.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Focus on Social Issues Abstinence Policy Web site contains important information—and links—about the dangers of sexual intercourse outside marriage