Study says 1 in 4 teen girls have an STD!

[pumpkincat210]

Study: 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD - CNN.com

Wow! Very disturbing. Seems like Bush's Abstinence plan isn't working out so well.
Remember while its not always fun people should be using a condoms and at least one other form of birth control and remember that the pill doesn't protect against any stds and condoms aren't 100% either. It's important to see your doctor often if you are sexually active and let them know you are. While some std's can be treated, others cannot such as herpes. And although you don't die from herpes, think about having to tell future partners you have it. The article didn't mention hiv/aids and that one kills. So pick your partners carefully and if possible both of you get screened for stds before you do it.

 

[Honey B. Fly]

that is scarey so many teenage girls are having sex these days. i am always thinking of how i should go about explaining sex and waiting to my daughter when she gets to that age. my mother never had a sex talk with me and i was virgin by choice past 18yrs old until i met my current bf.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

To me, condoms dont make sex feel any different. For the guys I've been with, it never made a difference either.

That being said, when I was a virgin i always said I would be smart and make the right decisions when it came to sex. It is so easy to get caught up in sex....I can't believe I've had unprotected sex before. I could've gotten an STD or even HIV or something. I consider myself very very lucky that I'm not one of those teens with an STD.

 

[goink]

Quote:

The study by CDC researcher Dr. Sara Forhan is an analysis of nationally representative data on 838 girls who participated in a 2003-04 government health survey.

838 girls? Although it's a nationally representative data, it's still kind of a stretch to state a result from a small sample.
Nonetheless, girls are having sex at a younger age, thus, deceived easily into having unprotected sex.

 

[pumpkincat210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goink 838 girls? Although it's a nationally representative data, it's still kind of a stretch to state a result from a small sample. Nonetheless, girls are having sex at a younger age, thus, deceived easily into having unprotected sex.

I agree that the amount of people studied is small but i've read in other articles that std's particularly chlamydia is on the rise.
Yes, I think sex is marketed towards kids more and more. It's very disturbing. Bush's Abstinence only sex education is absolutely ridiculous to me. His belief that sex should be saved for marriage is not a mainstream thought anymore. Although abstinence is the only sure way to protect oneself from certain std's, failure to teach alternative methods of protection is totally wrong! One can always benefit from extra information especially if your life depends on it.

 

[Babylard]

i also agree with both of you on how the sample size is quite small. i am interested in seeing the distribution among age as well lol... eeek.. isn't chlamydia treatable by anti-biotics these days? *recalls an episode of House* i think if u were to get stds, thats the one you should be hoping for LOL

damn kiddies and their raging hormones! i would neverrr EVERRR have unprotected sex... NEVER.. unless i wanted kids of course.

 

[Babylard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honey B. Fly that is scarey so many teenage girls are having sex these days. i am always thinking of how i should go about explaining sex and waiting to my daughter when she gets to that age. my mother never had a sex talk with me and i was virgin by choice past 18yrs old until i met my current bf.

you could always let the school do all the work for ya! LOL my parents never said a word except my mom once when i was moving out she was like u knw about condoms right? the school taught you? and im like uh huh......

i remember in grade 9 and 10... condomania hahahahaha! they even gave out condoms and lub... i remember being like ooh cherry... *eats* eww this tastes like rubber

*no duh* and then kids were blowing them up like balloons and lubing each other's locks... oh high school.. how i miss thee...

 

[Babylard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantAffordMAC To me, condoms dont make sex feel any different. For the guys I've been with, it never made a difference either. That being said, when I was a virgin i always said I would be smart and make the right decisions when it came to sex. It is so easy to get caught up in sex....I can't believe I've had unprotected sex before. I could've gotten an STD or even HIV or something. I consider myself very very lucky that I'm not one of those teens with an STD.

hey hey! im glad you dont have it too

practice pre-caution next time dear. i would never date a guy.. or girl if i go that way... with herpes or stds ewww! take care of yourself and be smart! <3

 

[pumpkincat210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babylard you could always let the school do all the work for ya! LOL my parents never said a word except my mom once when i was moving out she was like u knw about condoms right? the school taught you? and im like uh huh...... i remember in grade 9 and 10... condomania hahahahaha! they even gave out condoms and lub... i remember being like ooh cherry... *eats* eww this tastes like rubber *no duh* and then kids were blowing them up like balloons and lubing each other's locks... oh high school.. how i miss thee...

You didn't hear? they don't teach condoms in school anymore, just abstinence.

 

[NutMeg]

I'm one of the unfortunates who can really tell when we use a condom. It tends to hurt, and when we use a ton of lube sometimes it doesn't hurt but I can't feel nearly as much. That being said, I am really cautious about my health. We both get tested once a year for the common STDs, and I just got tested for HIV and syphilus, so I probably will only get tested for those every few years. So far we're both clean.

 

[NutMeg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkincat210 You didn't hear? they don't teach condoms in school anymore, just abstinence.

Check her location, she's from Canada. We've always taught kids about birth control in schools.

 

[pumpkincat210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutMeg Check her location, she's from Canada. We've always taught kids about birth control in schools.

Oh my bad.. Yeah, it changed here with Bush's abstinence only program. Now you can't go to the nurse and get a condom if you can't afford it or get other information, you have to go to your parents or planned parenthood. Its got to be one of the most idiotic policies.

 

[pumpkincat210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutMeg I'm one of the unfortunates who can really tell when we use a condom. It tends to hurt, and when we use a ton of lube sometimes it doesn't hurt but I can't feel nearly as much. That being said, I am really cautious about my health. We both get tested once a year for the common STDs, and I just got tested for HIV and syphilus, so I probably will only get tested for those every few years. So far we're both clean.

I can tell the difference too and i would loathe going back to condoms. After being married for 5 years you tend to be able to tell the difference majorly.

 

[Babylard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkincat210 Oh my bad.. Yeah, it changed here with Bush's abstinence only program. Now you can't go to the nurse and get a condom if you can't afford it or get other information, you have to go to your parents or planned parenthood. Its got to be one of the most idiotic policies.

omg that's terrible. that's gotta be one of the most idiotic policies. kids are so stupid these days... thats gonna make them even stupider

 

[Beauty Mark]

I really wish that the schools were able to teach all forms of birth control, including abstinence. I don't believe that young teens should have sex, but if they are, they may as well be informed about it.

One of the things that scared me straight into not sleeping around and being careful was the STD slide show. The stuff that can grow on your genitals is so repulsive.

However, I'm not sure if the education factor is the only thing that's causing the spread of STDs. Not that they're particularly bright, but it seems like a lot of celebrities end up in situations where they have unplanned pregnancies, and I doubt that it's always birth control failure.

 

[SparklingWaves]

I remember students watching films and laughing in those extremely brief sex ed. classes. The person teaching them looked extremely uncomfortable. I remember the students making fun of the teacher. Some claimed to be sexually attracted to the teacher.

As for the students, many had already had been heavily involved with a boyfriend or girlfriend for years. Some of them had carved their boyfriend's name on their arms or had engagement rings, etc.

The STD pictures were the "EWWW" affect and "That's never going to happen to me." syndrome or "I will kill the &*(%+ that gives that **** to me."

I don't think they took it seriously. Maybe a few did. It really didn't appear that they did. Most kept complaining that they wanted to get out there and get home to watch tv or go be with their girlfriend or boyfriend. A couple of the guys wanted to know if the teacher was available for a date.

IMO- Sex education starts pre-K by the parents giving age appropriate information. The information continues as the child grows with appropriate information. It doesn't start in the teens by asking, "Are you using condoms?, Oh, by the way, here is a list of STDs with pictures., or Your 16 now, so you better be practicing abstinence

." (I think some parents need education themselves. Some of them are just as out of control or worse). So, if the education is to begin in schools, it needs to start early.

I think there are some parents that have an issue in just talking to their children about sex or having anyone else talk to their children about sex. I am not saying all parents.

 

[pumpkincat210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparklingWaves IMO- Sex education starts pre-K by the parents giving age appropriate information. The information continues as the child grows with appropriate information. It doesn't start in the teens by asking, "Are you using condoms?, Oh, by the way, here is a list of STDs with pictures., or Your 16 now, so you better be practicing abstinence ."

Pre-K? I don't think they'd understand at that age. How would you bring a subject like that up? Where do you start?
I don't want my child in kindergarten taught sex ed yet. They are innocent and probably wouldn't fully grasp the concept anyway.
I also don't want other little kids teaching my kid about sex, who knows what they might say or their views on it. You could really screw up a little kid or confuse them.

 

[SparklingWaves]

As I stated, age appropriate information - teaching that it's their body and that no one should be touching it inappropriately to make them feel scared starts early. Here is just one way of teaching information to empower children and not scare them. That is age appropriate. It is an important part of sex education.

Names of body parts, functions, & hygiene is also the basics of sex ed. too. Sex ed. is not just about the physical act of sex and diseases. It is much more complex.

I have seen adults as a medical person that were never taught proper hygiene of their genitals and they suffered from it.

If anything and in many cases, a child will open the dialog with questions about their body or it's functions. The adult will shut the dialog down and give the message to the child that the topic is taboo.

What will any of this information mess up a child's head? Additionally, I don't understand what you are referring to. Please clarify.

 

[captodometer]

Abstinence only programs are a disaster from a public health perspective. They work great if people actually abstain, but just about everyone eventually has sex. And if the only sex ed they ever received emphasized abstinence, they are much more likely to end up with an STD or accidentally pregnant: sex has a way of just happening. And if they took an abstinence vow, they probably aren't on any type of birth control or carrying condoms.

The abstinence message has its place: it should come from family members and the clergy. Medical professionals and sex ed classes need to emphasize pregnancy and STD prevention. I personally think that sex ed should be taught in 6th grade, where most of the students would be about 12.

 

[SparklingWaves]

In my schools, it was taught at both in 6th, 7th and then Junior year of High School. So, what impact did it have. I think it had very little actually.

The sex education was already coming through via the tv, the music, the magazine ads, and the movies. We had our MTV. You had to be living under a rock to not get the all the messages.

Today, it's far worse. I see pictures of sexual positions right on someone's body, it's on teeshirts, it's on commercials, trash mail catalogs, movies, television programs, it's everywhere on the net, it's in music lyrics, to name a few. You can talk about poison in your food. No one cares. Talk about sex and you have the audience.

I see very young teen girls in the mall that are actually trying to look like women in the porn industry. Ah, I think they know about sex. Do they care or know about the responsibilities of it?

People are up in arms about what they teach in schools. ???? Sorry, some folks park their toddlers in front of a tv as a baby sitter. Does this make any sense?

"Don't tell my kids those things at school!" Well, what the heck is that tv set teaching your kid? What is the world teaching your kid or even the kids next door teaching your kid? By the way, what are you teaching your kid with your own behavior and actions?

I had to treat a Grandmother at a home. There were porn movies playing on every tv set in the house at 10 a.m. with little kids running around like kittens. After work, the husband like watching them with his beer. "It was to help him relax." I told the mother that this material was totally inappropriate for the children. She said that her children were too young to understand what was on the tv and it was none of my ****ING business.

Enough said.