REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of sexual transmitted
infection (STI) and reproductive health of young female/male students (18-27years) in
Surigao Education Center. In a nation that does not universally embrace comprehensive
sex education, some adolescents may not be fully prepared to navigate the social and
emotional challenges that accompany intimate relationships. Likewise, teens need to
learn to negotiate whether they will have sex, with whom they will have sex, and the use
of reliable contraception and STD prophylaxis (condoms).
According to World Health Organization (WHO) Sexually transmitted infection
(STI) are a major health problem affecting mostly young people, not only in developing,
but also in developed countries. More than 30 different bacteria, viruses and parasites
are known to be transmitted through sexual contact. Eight of these pathogens are linked
to the greatest incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Of these 8 infections, 4 are
currently curable: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas’s. The other 4 are
viral infections which are incurable: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV or herpes),
HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Symptoms or disease due to the incurable viral
infections can be reduced or modified through treatment.
STIs are spread predominantly by sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral
sex. Some STIs can also be spread through non-sexual means such as via blood or
blood products. Many STIs—including syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea,
herpes, and HPV—can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and
childbirth. A person can have an STI without having obvious symptoms of disease.
Common symptoms of STIs include vaginal discharge, urethral discharge or burning in
men, genital ulcers, and abdominal pain.
The consequences of STD acquisition among adolescents can also be quite
significant. Infertility in females and sterility in males may be a consequence of repeated
infections with gonorrhea and chlamydia acquired during adolescence (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2006; Eng. & Butler, 1997). Infection with Trichomonas
vaginalis and human papilloma virus is also common among teens. Many adolescents
who are diagnosed with an STD incur feelings of self - blame, depression, anxiety, and
lowered self - esteem (Forte berry et al., 2002; Gardner, Frank, & Amankwaa, 1998;
Salazar et al., 2006), which may in turn contribute to protracted delays in seeking care
(DiClemente, Salazar, Crosby, & Rosenthal, 2005).
Factors related to sexual risk behaviors range from intrapersonal and
interpersonal (social interactions with family, intimate partners, and peers) to
characteristics of school, community, and society. Some factors can be considered
distal determinants, while others are proximal determinants. Distal influences refer to
those factors that do not always have a direct or immediate effect on the health
behavior and whose causal pathway is not always known. Proximal influences, on the
other hand, may demonstrate an immediate and noticeable influence on health
behavior, but also may be caused by or mediate the effect of distal influences
(Anderson, 2004).
Avoiding risky sexual behavior and consequent teen pregnancy may be
motivated to a large degree by the level of involvement teens have with their schools,
social group affiliations, extracurricular activities, and church (Raneri & Wiemann,
2007). Positive characteristics of schools and teachers such as a sense of
connectedness can enhance teens’ academic motivation and thus be protective against
teen pregnancy. (Dogan - Ates & Carrion - Basham, 2007; Kasen, Cohen, & Brook,
1998). When teens feel motivated to achieve academically and feel engaged, they tend
to think about their future life and career aspirations and are less likely to become
pregnant or to impregnate someone. Even when a teen becomes pregnant, if she can
stay in school then she will be less likely to have a repeat pregnancy (Linares,
Leadbeater, Kato, & Jaffe, 1991; Manlove, Mariner, & Papillo, 2000). There is some
research to support that when teens have an attachment to a faith community, they are
less likely to engage in premarital sex, thus reducing their risk of pregnancy —
especially when the faith community espouses norms disapproving of premarital sex
such as Catholic or fundamentalist Protestant churches (Kirby, 2003).