In the beginning, having multiple sexual partners can be exciting, thrilling and may raise your status within your peers. Nowadays, your social status is usually measured by the number of people you have slept with. Having sexual relations has been just a competition of who has the most trophies on their bed posters rather than an expression of love. And with this mindset, comes the risks associated with such practices.
So the question lies, what is the real cost for promiscuity?
More sexual partners, means heightened risks of contacting STDs.
According to the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, has estimated that there are about 19 million Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) that are recorded each year. Amongst these are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and Human Papilloma Virus or HPV. The majority of these cases were observed in people who have had multiple sexual partners. Having these infections also increases one's susceptibility to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and ultimately getting sick with Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which has killed millions around the world.
Aside from STDs, having multiple sexual partners can cause other life-threatening conditions like prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and oral cancer.
Promiscuity is usually associated with risky habits.
Based on an article by Dr. Chris Iliades in Everyday Health, people who have multiple sexual partners are prone to smoking, heavy drinking, and substance abuse. These activities can cause chronic heart and lung diseases that may have lax thinking twice of their habits.
Your mental and emotional health is also at risk.
While it is apparent that having multiple sexual partners can take a toll on your physical health. Having more sexual partners increase the risk of having STDs like HIV or AIDS and it can also cause other life-threatening conditions, it has not been usually stressed that engaging in sexual relations does not only affect physical health but also mental and emotional status.
According to Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D., mental health consequences of having different sexual partners include high rates of anxiety and depression. The nature of casual sexual relationships may present a risk of lacking in emotional fulfillment since the focus of the relationship is mainly physical pleasure. This also leads to the person making dangerous choices which may lead to more problems.
An assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Deirdre Lee Fitzgerald, PhD, also noted that things could be the other way around. He said that promiscuity may actually be a symptom of depression, where people try to cope with this loneliness with more sexual relationships or turning to other vices.
People usually care most about how other people look at them. They want to be looked-up to and sometimes make the wrong choices just to get on top of society's food chain. However, we will eventually outgrow the thrill of parties, drugs, rule-breaking and the call of libido. Our bodies will not be young and healthy forever. We will only be left with regrets and debts to pay. So, the Casanovas and Scarlet Women of this generation, need to rethink their actions or pay the price when the bill comes due.
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