An STD -- short for sexually transmitted disease -- is an infection you can get by having sex. Sex in this case includes intercourse, anal sex, oral sex or skin-to-skin contact.

Every year about 3 million teens contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Despite the usual consequence-free messages television gives to teens, a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 43% of teens indicate that some scenes on television have helped them to talk to their partner about safer sex. For example, Felicity featured its title character stopping by her university health clinic to get information and proper protection prior to her first sexual encounter.

[Back to Top]