STD Rates Among Females

    MacDonald et al. (1990) looks at STD rates among college females and males in relation to certain high-risk STD/HIV behavior. The researchers found that 24.2% of women with 10 or more partners reported having an STD at least once. Only 3.1% Females with just one partner have reported having an STD at least once. For men, 10.6% that had 10 or more partners reported having an STD at least once. Only 0.8% of men with just one partner reported having an STD at least once. A possible cause for these numbers could be that it is easier for females to, biologically and anatomically, contract an STD than it is for males. They also found that increased number of partners was significant in the lack of, or irregular, condom use with females; surprisingly, no significance was found for males under this factor. The researchers do not give a reason for why this happens. Another factor involved in the higher STD rates among females is that women were more embarrassed to buy condoms than males were; as you can see, this can lead back to the topic of the female sexual double standard which is a possible cause of this embarrassment. Possibly, the most eye-popping conclusion the researchers came to is that even if males and females know about HIV/STD's, there is still a lack of consistency between that and the practice of safe sex. I believe most of these issues discussed here can somehow lead back to the sexual double standard toward females and affect their decision in safe sex.