40% of sexually active teen girls have an STD, according to the CDC. This is really scary, as it indicates not only the danger, but also the nature, of sex for teens.
Why so? Well, consider that in 1999, the CDC estimated that about 65 million adults, or about 33%, had been infected with an STD. The numbers are probably somewhat higher now, but we're left with the interesting phenomenon that STD infection rates for teen girls are about the same as those for adults.
Lots of implications here. To start, the parity in rates indicates that most of the seducers of teen girls are adults--it's hard to get an STD from a virgin, after all. One might also infer a fairly high rate of promiscuity--we're not exactly talking about two young hearts falling prey to nature's course after the dance, but rather more of the scene Tom Wolfe described in I am Charlotte Simmons.
Going further, we have a slightly declining rate of teen pregnancy, but a rapidly increasing STD infection rate--we've got to infer that the condoms we're throwing at teens are more effective at stopping some things than others, to put it delicately.
Finally, an exploding STD infection rate ought to put the kibosh on the idea that the main sex ed method--that of SIECUS and Planned Parenthood, not the abstinence method--is having any beneficial effect on helping teens to make intelligent decisions in this area.
Podcast #1047: The Roman Caesars’ Guide to Ruling
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The Roman caesars were the rulers of the Roman Empire, beginning in 27 BC
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7 comments:
I have heard that oral sex is the new virginity, ie it doesn't count. Surprise, surprise! Apparently it does.
Ah, but in reference to your last paragraph, we are always greeted with the classic Cold War "fellow traveler" response: genuinely effective "information based" sex education hasn't been truly tried, yet.
40%?
not buying it.
nope.
Pentamom, well said--though it's not exactly clear to me how extending the reach of the "use a condom" crowd is going to help this problem, since condoms really don't do anything to stop STDs.
Maybe it'll help for a reason I heard once--something about how the best way to "kill a mood" with one's spouse is to bring out a condom.
Gino, I can't comment on all the methodology, but the results of this study to match others in terms of STD rates, rates of actually having sex, and so on. So I'm hard pressed to dismiss it out of hand.
I heard on Fox 9 news in the Twin Cities last night, 1 out of 4 teen girls. But then they said 20% of white girls and 50% of black girls - ugh, another blow to the black image! In general, it's heartbreaking. I'm just at a loss for how to reach out to young people and try to help. First, I want to know that I'm walking in a right relationship with God in this area of my life. "then I shall teach transgressors their ways.."
Gabrielle, that's a great idea for a post. Thanks!
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