Posted on 03/11/2008 6:04:53 PM PDT by UFC Pride K1
According to the AP, a CDC study found that 1 in 4 teen girls, aged 14 to 19, has a sexually transmitted disease. The infection rate among those who have ever had sex was 40%.
African American teens had a higher incidence of infection - nearly half of them had at least one STD compared to 20% among whites and hispanics. This news isn't good - especially in light of the fact that black women accounted for 66% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses among women during 2005.
This is troubling news to say the least. Despite the widespread availability of condoms - which don't offer perfect protection against STDs to begin with - sexually transmitted diseases remain a serious problem.
As long as teens don't use condoms correctly and consistently, this problem is not going to significantly change any time soon. Additionally, condoms cannot offer high degrees of protection against STDs that are transmitted via skin to skin contact.
Some claim that comprehensive sexuality education programs will increase condom usage - but will such programs result in drastic changes? Probably not.
So what can be done to change the situation? Better diagnosis, quicker treatment to prevent further transmission, and abstinence counseling.
Abstinence counseling for the sexually active? Yes, sexually active teens are capable of stopping their sexual activity, but many need help to do so.
But there is more that can be done - our government, at all levels, along with public and private organizations can push for a long term cultural shift towards abstinence.
Our culture should promote abstinence until marriage, fidelity, and healthy sexuality. Unfortunately, cultural changes rarely happen overnight, so this change will take time, and there will be bumps along the way. But in the long run, such a shift will offer true long term reductions.
Some argue that abstinence isn't the answer to these problems, and that teens are going to have sex regardless of such a shift. While it's true that some teens will engage in sexual activity despite cultural pressure not to, the percentage that do will be significantly lower. Among this smaller group of sexually active teens, condom usage will still be inconsistent, and sexually transmitted diseases will still be common - but the problem will be on a much smaller scale.
Finally, as I have pointed out time and time again, STD clinics aren't full of teens who abstained from risky sexual activity...
Ruben Obregon is the National Director of the Campaign for Healthy Choices
Does the study discard IV drug users from the findings?
What’s wierd is, since 1995 I’ve hardly been celibate but, I’ve never acquired an STD. Oh wait, that’s probably because I’ve been in a monogamous heterosexual relationship with my (gasp!) wife. What a concept!
Amen!
Works for me too...well not being in a relationship with your wife, but the whole monogamous marriage thing. Of course, I do have three kids and am constantly drenched in spit up......but I don’t think I should complain.
I call BS. There's no way. You would have a hard time finding one in four people of any demographic having any group of any ailment, Unless you were looking for stupidity in Dems.
If you worked in the medical field, you might find these numbers low. :-(
to self — never mind. I messed up the stats on the girls.
:-(
Love the chart
Looks like lots of pie
Black Pie
White Pie
Brown Pie
Yellow Pie
and
Red Pie
I’d like to know what they are counting as STDs. And why not get numbers on boys? These girls probably aren’t getting them from another girl. What are we teaching our sons about families, responsibility etc?
ping
That's on average. In some subgroups more than half of them have an STD, in other subgroups relative few have an STD.
BINGO
Single parent homes.
Children by different fathers.
Breeding lots of children in poverty.
With all due respect Doc - I think your view of the forest is impeded by a big (although not 1/4 of the forest big!) tree. You see the afflicted far more than the unafflicted.
When I see 100 and 42 are afflicted, what am I to confer? I would be the first to admit; I don’t see all … but statistics are on my side, unfortunately.
While you may question his numbers, I think we can all support his proposal.
All of this started back in the late 1960s when the idea of a girl saving herself for marriage started its slide toward oblivion. It is rather sad to see how cheaply teenaged girls hold themselves today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.