By Vivian FilerSpecial to the Guardian Published: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 1:59 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 1:59 p.m.

April has been designated as National Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month. this subject is not your usual after-dinner topic of conversation. it is instead a little discussed, but very important, one that should become the topic at some point in every family’s “tell-me-about-your-day” exchanges.

Although it is often difficult to approach the issue, it is far more devastating to allow ignorance to lead to an infection. Most STDs are treatable, but some have devastating long-range effects. certainly, HIV/AIDS is one that we cannot ignore.

In an effort to improve the awareness of this public health condition, an Alachua County Health Department press release indicates that statistically, sexually transmitted diseases remain a public health challenge both locally and nationally.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimates that nearly 19 million people, most of them between the ages of 15-24, will be infected each year. Although the numbers have significantly decreased since prevention and education have been the focus, there still is a profound need to decrease the prevalence of STDs. the goal of ensuring that everyone has access to STD prevention, treatment and care covers all of the levels of prevention.

The theme this year is “Talk, Test and Treat,” the three Ts to prevent the spread of STDs. by practicing these three preventive actions, we can further reduce the rate of occurrence of STDs. the goal is to talk to your partner and your health care provider about risk factors and safer sex methods, get tested by finding a close location and making an appointment, and treating the disease to avoid additional health problems.

According to Life123.com, the most common STDs are chlamydia, genital herpes, genital human papillomavirus, or HPV, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, pelvic inflammatory disease, pubic lice, syphilis and trichomoniasis.

The website emphasizes the importance of educating our teens, who should know how each sexually transmitted disease is contracted, the symptoms of each, which treatments are available, and what effects the diseases can have on them both short-term and long-term. if families are uncomfortable with this topic, they may want to access support from health care providers at the local health department or talk with their primary care physician.

First of all, parents are encouraged not to use this discussion about STDs as a tactic. In fact, the website warns against using your talk on sexually transmitted diseases to scare your child into not having sex. this statement, in my opinion, does not deny the need for ongoing discussions on sexuality with an emphasis on your family values and the benefits of making responsible decisions.

If you are looking for guidelines on how to talk with your teen, you might consider those listed below. they are:

Have regular heart-to-heart talks with your teenagers about sensitive subjects.

Find out from your teen what has been taught at school or in other settings to encourage your teen to share with you.

Write down some little known facts and tell your child you found something that surprised you. For instance, because they are sometimes used incorrectly, condoms are only about 86 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Resist the urge to lecture or preach to your child. When you initiate an open conversation and listen as much as you talk, your teen will be more likely to come to you later for advice and information and with questions or concerns.

According to the CDC, almost half of all high school girls reported that they are sexually active. about 25 percent of them became infected with a sexually transmitted disease before they graduated from high school.

According to Teresa White, the area 3/13 Minority AIDS program coordinator and Alachua County Minority Health Liaison, her current efforts are not only to reflect on the headway that has been made in fighting HIV, but also to pay tribute to the more than 16,000 lives that are lost from AIDS each year in the U.S.

Nearly 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S., and one in five of those are unaware of their infections. In Florida alone, nearly 135,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS, yet 20 percent of them don’t know they have it.

We are working very closely with the community as a whole to include business partners and the faith community to address HIV/AIDS disparities and HIV-related stigma and to spark dialogue about stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS among all populations.

I hope each one of us will take the time this month to spread the word about the prevention of STDs.

Vivian Filer is a retired professor of nursing at Santa Fe College. Email your questions, with “Health Files” in the subject line, to news@gainesvilleguardian.com.