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Sexual Health
What is sexual health?
Sexual health refers to the many physical, mental and emotional factors that impact sexual function and reproduction. Disorders that affect any of these factors can impact a person’s physical and emotional health, as well as his or her relationships and self-image. While love, affection and sexual intimacy contribute to healthy relationships and individual well-being and sexual health,2 unprotected sexual behavior can result in undesirable consequences, including unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and HIV/AIDS. Abstinence is the only method of complete protection, although condoms, if used correctly and consistently, can help prevent both unintended pregnancy and STDs.1
Other issues affecting sexual health are reproductive system disorders, including cancer, infertility problems, gynecologic problems, including endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and premenstrual syndrome, urinary system problems, including incontinence and urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction (ED), painful intercourse and loss of sexual desire, concerns regarding "normal" or acceptable sexual behavior and lifestyles, birth control, and teen sex.
Healthy Arizona 2010 – Responsible Sexual Behavior
The Center for Disease Control reports an estimated 19 million new cases of each year of sexually transmitted diseases. Almost 10 million of the new cases of STD’s each year occur in young people ages 15 – 24. About one-half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under age 25 years, and the majority are infected through sexual behavior. Compelling worldwide evidence indicates that the presence of other STDs increases the likelihood of both transmitting and acquiring HIV infection.1
Nationally, in 1999, 85% of adolescents abstained from sexual intercourse or used condoms if they were sexually active. Over the past six years, abstinence and condom use increased among young people who are sexually active over the past 6 years, and condom use in sexually active adults has remained steady at 25%.1
Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended; that is at the time of conception the pregnancy was not planned or unwanted, but the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States are declining. Approximately 1 million teenage girls each year in the United States have unintended pregnancies, and the rates remain high among women aged 40 years or older, and low-income women. Nearly half of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion. The cost to U.S. taxpayers for adolescent pregnancy is estimated at between $7 billion and $15 billion a year.1
Arizona has the third highest pregnancy rate in the nation; 43% of teens (age 14 – 17) are sexually active, 4 but the teen pregnancy rate (age 15 - 17) in 2003 was 41.6 per 1,000, dropping significantly lower than 78 per 1,000 in 1994. 3 Between 1993 and 2003, pregnancy rates declined for all age, race, and Hispanic origin populations for females (age 15 – 19). 3 Hispanic teens account for 63.9 percent of pregnancies for 2003, 3 while the number of pregnancies for Asian, African American, and Native American teens remain the same.
The Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) monitors six categories of health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults; including behaviors contributing to unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, unhealthy dietary behavior and physical activity and is administered every two years to 9th – 12th graders by the Arizona Department of Health Services in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Education. 5
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