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SYRACUSE -- It is a reality many parents fear: their teenage children are having sex and potentially putting themselves at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might may concern you even more.
The CDC study finds that 3.2 million teenage girls in this country have a sexually transmitted disease. Dr. Elizabeth Payne, the director of the Q Center in Syracuse and an instructor at Syracuse University, says the statistics do not surprise her. She has been doing sexual education for 20 years and blames the problem, in part, on inadequate sex ed. “We know that abstinence-only programs don’t work,” Dr. Payne says. “Research tells us that comprehensive sexual education programs do, not only delay the onset of sexual activity, but increase the likelihood that young people will protect themselves.”
Another concern is that some teens define sex as only intercourse, despite the fact that other intimate behavior like oral sex can spread diseases. So, to find out what teens really think, we sat down with four students from Nottingham High School. They range in age from 15 to 17 and were willing to talk candidly about what they know and don’t know when it comes to sex and STDs.
“Most of my friends have had sex before,” says Mekkah Henry, a freshman. The fact that one in four teenage girls have an STD doesn’t surprise them. Some teenagers they know use protection. Others don’t and consider sex a casual thing. “Just need to find something to do, so they go have sex,” says Niria Jenning-Smith, a junior. “They just want to fit in,” says junior Kortney Cannon.
In fact, these girls say, most people they know started having sex around 14 to 16 years old, not only putting themselves at risk for pregnancy, but also serious disease. In the CDC study, among those who admitted to having sex, 40% had an STD.
So, what’s the solution? How do we cut down on the number of teens contracting STD’s? These girls say parents and teachers need to get real. “I think you should educate them more on safer ways and how to be better and if you choose to have sex, how to have a happy, healthy life,” says sophomore Lanyra Jenning-Smith.
Dr. Elizabeth Payne says her best advice for parents is to start talking to your kids when they’re young, educating them about their sexuality so they can make more informed choices in their teenage years. “I think having open, honest conversation is one of the best ways to address the issues that we’re seeing with teenagers,” Dr. Payne says.
It’s important to note that the girls involved in the CDC study were only tested for four infections: human papillomavirus, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes. There are many more STDs out there, which means this problem could be even more widespread.
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