“The Clap … VD … herpes … HIV.” These diseases could never affect you, right? Well, you’re wrong. In fact, gonorrhea, genital herpes and HIV all could have an effect on you.

STIs (sexually transmitted infections) can have very serious consequences and those affected should seek immediate support from their healthcare professional.

Many people these days turn their noses up at STIs, including college-age students who think that they are invincible; however, statistics show that STI rates are rising among generation Y.

It does not matter who you are, what your religion, socioeconomic status or sexual preference is: sexually transmitted infections are not selective.

Apparently, neither are today’s youth, since Americans aged 15 to 24 are the highest affected population for HIV and STIs.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 40,000 people contract HIV annually, contributing to the more than 885,000 reported cases of Americans living with AIDS.

The numbers for testing positive for lesser (yet still dangerous) STIs are drastically higher.

The numbers may not mean much to you, but, if you think about it, STIs and HIV can occur anywhere that risky behavior is prevalent.