Bravo! You are taking on a topic that needs to be addressed thoroughly and frequently.

My personal take on this subject (based on having many grandchildren and great-grandchildren) is to emphasize the double standard that we are seeing.
Teen girls are treated as pariahs, while teen boys are warned to protect themselves. Every young woman should be aware that the ole’ double standard is alive and well.

As for research, I recommend About.com and Google.com because there are so many avenues to explore with this issue, including why research results can be skewed, how to get accurate research results, etc.

For instance, Googling “Teen STD research” will give you many leads to follow.

The CDC is a great resource because their statistics involve actual patients, so the truth-telling factor is not quite so prevalent.

Oral sex, as well as other types of contact, have so many myths and inaccuracies that are circulated and dangerous to teen health. These myths need to be debunked.

I wish you all the best of success with your report. Again, I would emphasize to today’s modern young women that – no matter what they are told – the burden (and stigma) still devolves to them.

If the numbers are that bad for the girls, where does that leave the boys? And who is carrying these diseases more actively from partner to partner?

We are looking at many, many young women who are facing future sterility. We have GOT TO help them understand how to take care of themselves, in spite of that double standard!

Brennan

I like your site…

Yes, it’s a sad commentary – on our youth, our parents and our society.

You are so right that if we don’t tell our children the truth, they will seek their answers elsewhere. And they don’t have to go far to get a truly perverted view of human relationships.

My concern with the statistics in this post is that we don’t really have generations to FIX THIS. These girls (and of course, their male partners) are infected with potentially deadly diseases NOW! I can only hope that publication of this problem will motivate people to take action.

Sigh!
Brennan

Another excellent article – and I totally agree with AnneMarie – it’s a very sad commentary on America’s youth society.

As I commented on your choking article last week, to my mind this comes down to the parents.

Now I’m no model parent, and I know it’s the toughest job around, but it’s still the best place for kids to learn about sexual issues, drugs and all the other crazy things that they have to face as they grow up.

Unfortunately many parents, particularly younger parents, don’t take on this responsibility so it’s left to the kids to find out for themselves.

Given that this type of education doesn’t happen in the home it’s a good thing that some schools are taking it up. But without the openness that ideally a parental relationship would have there’s still so much room for misinterpretation.

Like I said – I’m no model parent and I know how hard a job it is. I also know that it’s going to take a herculean effort (and at least a generation) to turn things around.

Martin.

We must start educating our children BEFORE they are in a position to get infected. And unless the information we give them is accurate, as well as sensitive and tastefully done, it will be ignored.

With all the sex and violence children are exposed to from the media, including the daily news and MTV, kids are exposed to far more negatively-portrayed explicit sexual encounters than any sex education program in schools could begin to share.

Young people need to know what the statistics AND the consequences are.

One thing I didn’t mention in the article, is that many of these young women have these infections in their mouths as well. Somebody, besides a former president, needs to explain what is/isn’t actual sex.

We all have different opinions on this and mine is that …

If sexual health education was introduced to school age children from a much earlier age, then they would know of the potential dangers of entering into a sexual relationship too early in their lives.

Young children are already confronted with images on television of undesirable events too early, so surely a basic knowledge brought to them in an appropriate and sensitive manner, could only benefit our future generations.

We have a duty to our children in this matter and education has to be the way forward.

The word “slut”, as referred to girls, has been around for too long and only voiced by immature and ignorant people, some of whom, will no doubt regret having said it, in the first place!