STD? Yeah, You (Teenage Girls) Know Me!

1fastdog.

Posted to Politics on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:41:15 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

The numbers from the CDC are startling.

A new CDC study indicates that one in four (26%) female adolescents in the United States has at least one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Led by CDC's Sara Forhan, the study is the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common STIs among adolescent women in the United States...

...Based on the overall STI prevalence of 26 percent, the authors estimate that about 3.2 million adolescent females in the United States are infected with one of these STIs. They note that the total prevalence might be slightly higher than these estimates indicate, because some STIs - including syphilis, HIV and gonorrhea - were not included in the analysis; however, the prevalence of these STIs is low in this age group.

So, teens are having sex - and getting STDs in record numbers - in spite of programs telling them to abstain? I'm sensing a distinct lack of enthusiasm from parents to educate their kids, and from teens to take seriously the Bush administration's federally funded, and often factually misleading abstinence-only sex education program. Go figure...
As noted from a column in the The Chicago Tribune, teens are in desperate need of some facts:
In a co-ed forum, the teens pondered contraception. One well-meaning young man stood and said aluminum foil could be used in lieu of a condom. Other teens offered up myths such as the efficacy of plastic baggies, having sex while standing and bathing right after sex.

Bad news often begets more bad news; stats are also showing that teen pregnancies are on the rise with abortions ending 25% of those pregnancies. In the aftermath of all of this info, editorials calling for comprehensive sex education while decrying the current status of abstinence-only policies are all the rage.

What the CDC report also pointed out was that the current trend to teach abstinence only is not working. Trying to teach kids to abstain from sex is like trying to teach everyone that proper diet and exercise is the best health care. It's a great message, but it falls on too many deaf ears.

Suddenly common sense and a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the Bush administration's flawed abstinence-only sex education programs are all the rage. Go figure...

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Tags: edited by Port1080, written by 1fastdog, STD, teen sex (all tags)

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1	What's so funny 'bout crabs, warts, and infections Steve Urkel. Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 01:04:29 PM EST none

I thought overturning society's outdated and prudish sexual attitudes was one of liberalisms greatest triumphs. So why the need for a massive re-education campaign, overseen by the federal government?

"One well-meaning young man stood and said aluminum foil could be used in lieu of a condom"

Assuming this chap wasn't joking, why does anyone think such an idiot can be "sexually educated"?

2 1	What's so funny 'bout crabs, warts, and infections skeptic. Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:30:00 PM EST none

It is possible for people to have sex and NOT get infected as a result. There are techniques for having sex safely. I do think that many people would do better not to rush into having sex at a very early age (i.e., while still in high school or in some cases even earlier) but still, if they want to do so, they should be educated enough to know how to do it relatively safely (I say relatively safely because, much like driving a car, no matter how safely you do it, having sex is going to present some degree of risk).

There is some irony in the fact, as your comment suggests, that while it is very liberating to escape from a sexually repressive morality such as we had in the 1950's or earlier, this can also lead to sexual carelessness and resulting problems which can be very severe. With freedom comes responsibility.

3 2	There are technologs for having sexsafely Steve Urkel. Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:55:33 PM EST none

The Chrysilladom is a lightweight orgone plated super condom with an outer layer of natural pure diamond crystals. When worn on the head of the penis it accelerates the balls into quantum entanglement focusing mode.

4	Just Say No. TonedEff. Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:34:09 PM EST none

And it's equivalent -- let's not talk about it. Because, what worked so well to keep kids from using drugs should work about as well when it comes to preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Which is to say, not at all.

5	Sort of misleading... port1080. Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 11:07:33 PM EST none

While the study trumpets that 25% of teens have an STD, 18% of those have HPV, which is general non-symptomatic. While it's true that 70% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV, the reverse is not true - most people with HPV never develop any symptoms at all (which is why it's such a common infection). So, take that away and we're looking at more in the 7% to 10% range (not sure how much overlap there is in the HPV cases with the other cases). Also, condoms apparently don't do a whole lot to stop HPV from spreading, so even if we strongly pushed a "safer sex" message it's not clear to me that it would do a whole lot to take down the HPV numbers. The results certainly do make a strong argument for the HPV vaccine, however...

6 5	Sort Of? uncarved block. Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 09:46:42 AM EST none

How about the fact that the lead study chose ages 14-19 as a sample? That covers the last year of middle school to possibly the second year of college. Now I guess some folks may believe that 8th and 9th graders are slutting it up like it's Lady's Night with dollar drinks, but I'm more than a little suspicious of any study that bridges such a huge change in the sexual freedom of both sexes.

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

7 5	Re: Sort of misleading... thefadd. Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 06:55:36 PM EST none

Why do they make a strong argument for HPV vaccine? As you state, it frequently leads to nothing. When it does, there are treatments for that. On the other hand, the vaccine is still very new and its effectiveness is not clearly demonstrated while it seems to have nasty side effects.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

This story: 7 comments (1 from subqueue)

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1fastdog.

Posted to Politics on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:41:15 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

What's so funny 'bout crabs, warts, and infections

Steve Urkel.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 01:04:29 PM EST

1

What's so funny 'bout crabs, warts, and infections

skeptic.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:30:00 PM EST

2

There are technologs for having sexsafely

Steve Urkel.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:55:33 PM EST

Just Say No.

TonedEff.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:34:09 PM EST

Sort of misleading...

port1080.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 11:07:33 PM EST

5

Sort Of?

uncarved block.

Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 09:46:42 AM EST

5

Re: Sort of misleading...

thefadd.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 06:55:36 PM EST