THE A-B-Cs OF STDs
By Valerie Shaw, M.PR

Although I'm no biologist or epidemiologist, it occurs to me that humans are the only primates who knowingly pass on infectious disease. Other less intelligent life forms have the cowardliness to peel away from the pack, to hide from the herd or flee from the flock when they are ready meet their Maker. They know that it's a one-way solo trip.

Is it our intelligence, I wonder, that makes us a higher life form? If that's true then I'd like
to think that we'd be intelligent enough not to pass tainted body fluids on to others of our species. I think that today's garden crop of STDs have overshadowed our intelligence. [That's Sexually Transmitted Diseases, in case you've been living under a rock.]

Remember Gonorrhea and Syphilis? [No-if you're under 25-they are not two ugly sisters from Pomona.] Gonorrhea and Syphilis are killer STDs that have been with us since the roach. But today, along with the old organisms, we've got a whole designer line of herpes infections to add to the mix. Since you gotta know you got it to give it, I'm just wondering about all that human intelligence. Making someone sick just because you are doesn't sound too smart to me.

Now, when it comes to STDs there's good news and bad news. The good news is that all STDs are preventable. That's right; we can stop the spread of AIDs today by changing our behavior.

The bad news is that nobody is listening to the good news. With new strains of venereal diseases being identified every other month, STDs are as common today among young folks as pierced body parts. Sadly, it seems to me, we need to go back to the A-B-Cs of STDs if we really care about the survival of the human race.

© Valerie Shaw 2000 - All Rights Reserved
All contents are the exclusive rights of the author and may not be copied, excerpted, nor duplicated without the expressed written permission of the author. For questions regarding duplication of this work, send email to author.

---

The A-B-Cs of STDs

A. Always use protection.

B. Before falling into love, walk into like

C. Celibacy is as celibacy does.

D. Dare to beware.

E. Every loss is a lesson.

F. Fornication, like fleas, may carry disease.

G. Get him/her tested before you invest it.

H. Halt!!!

I. In school, you learn a lesson and then you take a test. In life, it's just the opposite; you get tested and then you learn the lesson.

J. Just say no.

K. Kids come, even if you don't.

L. Laugh they might, but so will you when you test negative.

M. Most people lie about their sexual history.

N. No sex is the safest sex.

O. Outsight changes with insight.

P. Personality is not a substitute for character.

Q. Quickies may last a lifetime.

R. Revolving doors aren't put on bedrooms for a good reason.

S. Self-first is not selfish.

T. The opposite of good sense is nonsense.

U. Unprotected sex is like quicksand: You go for a walk on the beach and drown in your own footsteps.

V. Variety is the vice of life.

W. What's good to you may not be good for you.

X. X-ray vision does not reveal someone's intentions.

Y. You can only grow from hearing "no."

Z. Zip it; don't zap it.