Teen sex, STDs, and the CDC

Yep, you read that right, there apparently is a recent report from the CDC that indicates one in four teen aged girls have an STD:

CHICAGO - Startling government research on teenage girls and sexually transmitted diseases sends a blunt message to kids who think they’re immune: It’s liable to happen to you or someone you know.

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found at least one in 4 teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

The most common one is a virus that can cause cervical cancer, and the second most common can cause infertility. Nearly half the black teens in the study had at least one sexually transmitted infection, versus 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens.

(From an MSNBC news item on that report)

As the father of a 13-year-old, I find that pretty scary. According to the study (a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2003-2004), of female adolescents surveyed, over half of whom reported ever having sex (for some that is vaginal intercourse, while for others it is intimate behavior including oral sex, which can also spread some infections). Even more startling are the numbers themselves, apparently of African American girls 48% had an STI, while 20% of white girls, were infected.

These are some very disturbing numbers. Still, what is perhaps even more disturbing is politicians and religious leaders who want to abolish (and have abolished) sex-ed programs and insist on relying only on Abstinence programs.

Here is what Jon Stewart of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show had to say on all of this…

Sure, sure, he obviously goes for the joke here, but, given the ignorance that abounds, what more can we do?

The Perfessor

P.S.: No really, has anyone seen Walt?