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STD study is a call to action

Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008 - 05:27:25 am MST

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Last week, a study by the Centers for Disease Control released a stunning finding: 26 percent of girls and women between the ages of 14 to 19 have a sexually transmitted disease.

And about half of the 838 teens in the study admitted to having sex, which some of the teens defined as intercourse while others defined as other intimate behavior, such as oral sex.

These rates are shocking, given that there really is a lot of medical knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases and even ways to reduce the chance of getting them, such as using a condom.

But maybe it isn’t. Maybe just teens aren’t listening. Or maybe the message that they’re being told isn’t getting across to them.

The study, which was released during the CDC’s 2008 National STD Prevention Conference, was done between 2003 and 2004 and tested teens for four of the most common infections: human papilloma virus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of the teens studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and genital herpes, 2 percent, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

The study also found that teens who have sex have a higher rate of infection — 40 percent. And black teens had a 48 percent infection rate compared to 20 percent by whites and Mexicans.

So, what should local communities do with this information?

There’s much that can be done and the study should be a call to action. Here are just a couple of ideas we had while reading the study.

First, teens need to know about sexually transmitted diseases, what they do and how and where to get tested to see if they have an STD. Teens can’t get the medical problem dealt with until a doctor knows about it.

Second, educational approaches need to be reviewed. While promotion of abstinence is good, much more may be needed. Teens need to know about how they can protect themselves if they do have sex. And they need to know what they face if they do have sex.

Finally, parents of teens of both sexes would do well by going over the study and information about sexually transmitted diseases. Families can get this type of information from their doctors or from a local health department office.

It is important, too, that teens get correct and factual information.

If some of those steps are taken, maybe we, as a nation and community, can reduce the number of STDs as reported by teenagers in this study.

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Val Trex wrote on Mar 25, 2008 4:39 PM:

" According to the commercials on TV having sex with an STD is just fine "

Mark C. wrote on Mar 22, 2008 10:18 AM:

" No is arguing that abstinence is not the best policy... but if you’re not smart enough to abstain, these are measures that will reduce the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease. Why can't this approach be taken in our schools? "

sex.edu. wrote on Mar 19, 2008 4:33 AM:

" Teach sex ed, it is biologie! It's 2008, not 1950 and safe sex is not "doing it" while your folks are at a martini party next door, or parked on a hill. We all did it, at some point and very few walked down the ile, deserving to wear lily white [even in 1950]! There is enough approp. lit. out there to teach about sex as early as kindergarten. It will continue to happen, so face facts and be parents!
By the by....what do you call the boys who gave the STDs to the girls?? Studs?
Nice double standard! "

Billy Hill wrote on Mar 18, 2008 11:41 AM:

" Apparently all of the "concern" in the world won't keep thier pants on. Perhaps some discipline? "

Life Long SV Resident wrote on Mar 18, 2008 9:51 AM:

" "26 percent of girls and women between the ages of 14 to 19..." need to be a little more aware of what they are doing and their parents need to teach better morals to these young woman. the word tramp comes to mind. "

Iris Lynch wrote on Mar 18, 2008 8:43 AM:

" "Outing' sexuality, as has been the case in educational systems for decades now, is reaping the rewards of ruining the lives of females..for the rest of their lives. Females are more depressed, more likely to commit suicide and more likely to live in unending poverty than their male counterparts who no longer need to pay for prostitutes, nor the results of an unwanted child. Looking ONLY at the costs, females get to pay and pay. Was this the motivation of our educational system? OR, were these adults so ignorant as to not have thought thru the results? "