March 13, 2008 
- Sex Infections Found in [a] Quarter of Teen Girls – NYTimes.com
- 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD – Boston.com
Yeah I know: you’ve been dreading the day for that fateful birds and bees convo with your newly high-school-ified son or daughter. Trust me, if that describes you, the facts and figures found by this referenced study should give you that resolve to just get that conversation over with, stat. I don’t care if you’re in denial about the fact that your teen has some raging hormonal activity going on (or will very soon), because the fact of the matter is, nothing is more powerful than knowledge (though whether that’s a good or bad thing is debatable), and it’s important your teen is aware of the possible consequences of engaging in unprotected sex (which of course includes not only the possible contraction of an STD, but preventable unwanted pregnancies as well), how to NOT get an STD (abstinence -the only foolproof way- OR proper protection, duh) and well, why she should really think about waiting. Seriously. But hey, it’s common knowledge that sometimes…. the hormones… the… yearning… the…. forbidden quality… the entire mix gets the best of everyone, not just teens, and not just randy adolescents with raging hormones.
The best thing any parent can do is arm your teen with knowledge, support and maybe add a dire warning of what could be if he or she chooses to listen more with what’s down there then what’s up here. Ultimately, each person , whether that person is 15 or 50, is in charge of his or her own body. With the right information, access to resources and access to preventative tools, you should be confident that your teen will make the right decisions. (If by chance she doesn’t heed your sagely advice and guidance, well, just remember what little orphan Annie said.)
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Technorati Tags: std, sti, sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection, sex infection, teenager, teen, girl, boy, adolescent, puberty, hormones, parenting
