CDC Releases STD Study

A study by the CDC on STDs and their prevalence in teenage girls was released on March 11. Headlines are screaming that 1 in 4 Teenage Girls Has STDs. The results are based on data from a 2003-2004 survey of 838 girls who are representative of the nation's teenagers. The results were from girls who were 14-19 years old, and from varying ethnic backgrounds. One of the problems with teenage patients and STD screening is that the results must be given to parents. The results of this study show that screening is necessary for treatment of these conditions.

When I was 22 I was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia after an abnormal pap smear. This started an entire whirlwind of events that changed my outlook on "STDs" and the people who get them.

The first step was to schedule a procedure called a colposcopy. This was done at the clinic where my normal exams were done. Like any other visit, the doctor inserted the speculum, but that was where the similarities ended. With a little spray bottle, a vinegar mixture was sprayed on my cervix. This causes any of the abnormal cells to turn white so that the doctor can get a good sample. The sample is collected by slicing two tiny pieces off the cervix and then scooping a cone-shaped piece from the middle. I was informed that this often can't be felt by some women. I was not one of them, and it was excruciating, even with painkillers I had been told to take beforehand. To stop the bleeding, a clay-like mixture is slathered onto the cervix. It comes out on its own, and while I will spare you the details, it's pretty gross.

When the results from that came back, I was told that I had a form of HPV, human papilloma virus. If left untreated, it would develop into cervical cancer.