A new study published recently about the sexual habits of teenagers should serve as a wake-up call for adults who cling to unrealistic notions about chastity among young people.
“We have historically seen lots and lots of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) among teens in Kansas City,” said Daryl Lynch, a doctor with the Teen Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital. “It’s a very sexually active, sexually promiscuous crowd that doesn’t practice safe sex.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than one in four teenage girls is infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
The group’s report also found that about half the teens studied had had sex. And 15 percent of the young women were infected with more than one STD.
Clearly, current messages about safe-sex practices are not altering the behavior of enough young people.
Far too many teenagers are given messages about abstinence, but not information about protection if they do become sexually active.
Diseases such as chlamydia, herpes simplex virus and the human papillomavirus (HPV) are also common among boys. But the study focused on young women because they can suffer an increased likelihood of cancer and infertility as a result of infection.
The prudent response would be to recognize that many teenagers are sexually active.
Education about protection from disease is absolutely necessary to help save young people from serious health risks.
All the millions of dollars spend over the years teaching sex education in the schools and what have we got to show for it? According to the story in the paper we have an epidemic of STDs. One half of all teens are having sex. Wonderful!
I wonder how all this compares to the numbers and percentages in a time before we were teaching all this “safe sex” to teenagers and younger. Does anyone out there think that half the girls were having sex in the 1950’s? I came of age in the 70’s and it wasn’t even the case then!
With abortion, the pill and other venues that supposedly provide for “safe sex” young women are led to believe that there are no consequences for promiscuity. That simply is not always the case as the story shows.
I have no problem with sex education for young people but I do believe ANY course which purports to teach how to avoid unintended pregnancy and STDs MUST include at least a section on abstinence. It is still the only sure fire way to avoid disease or pregnancy. It works every time it has been tried! Condoms can and do fail. The failure rate is at least 15%.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condom#In_preventing_STDs)
Every young person, male or female, should be strongly encouraged to abstain from sex. Condoms should be plan B intended for those without the will power to resist.
Ross Balano Midwest Voices 2008