Reuters:
American squeamishness about talking about sex has helped keep common sexually transmitted infections far too common, especially among vulnerable teens, U.S. researchers reported Monday.
Latest statistics on chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis show the three highly treatable infections continue to spread in the United States.
We must continue our efforts to fight the HIV virus. But we must also continue to fight the equally dangerous, infectious, and deadly epidemic of apathy.
The reality is that Susan Boyle is unattractive. She's really unattractive. And guess what? The event that catapulted her to stardom in the first place capitalized on the fact that just about anyone who sees her believes this.
Sex Cyber Guide | Free Sex Education. Sexual Intercourse Instruction For Man And...
Sex infections still growing, especially in teens - Sexual health- msnbc.com
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC - Yahoo! News
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC| U.S.| Reuters
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC - Yahoo! News
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC | Health | Reuters
WABE: Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC (2009-11-16)
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC – Inform
Sex infections still growing in U.S., says CDC | BreakingNews.com
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I remember being taught about STD's in 5th grade in Germany. I was mature enough to understand the concept of sex and it's risks. It still baffles me that people in the US purposely pull their children out of Health class in High School.
The one thing I would do different as a parent would be to teach the kids alternative ways to enjoy their sexuality. OK I am a coward maybe I'd have their mother do it.
I am not in favor of really young kids having sexual intercourse. I realize they will. I want them informed. I want them protected. I do not have to think that what they are doing is a good idea.
Some mutual prejean. The joys of oral sex.
Infoming kids that they do not have to go all the way if they are going to be doing anything is IMO not a bad idea at all.
I place total blame on the GOP and their abstinence only and no sex ed policies.
Oh noes, they missed one. They missed the Republican infection. I heard it was getting eradicated in the civilized World and down graded to just a PITA)
Yeah. Uh huh. We’ve been flinging condoms at the problem for 25 years. I’m sure if we just keep doing the same thing over and over, we’re bound to see different results. The problem is we don’t want to deal with the problem. We don’t want to refrain, and actually backtrack regarding sexuality, so we plow forward, convincing ourselves that the issue is lack of education. As if most kids in my fourth grader’s class don’t know what condoms are and what they are used for (according to him, I could probably learn things from half the kids in his grade). Nope. We just keep lumbering along, watching the body count rise, insisting that it’s some magic pill (or condom as the case may be), and all we need is more education (the always vague catch all solution ever able to be blamed on anything), rather than a change in attitudes and lifestyles. When forced to choose and facing the prospect of more self control and sacrifice, the body count apparently becomes a minor inconvenience: as long as we aren’t totaled in the stats.
what about the role of parents in this? what should schools do aside from providing condoms and teaching sex ed? teachers arent parents and they are not babysitters. they arent paid enough.
I would prefer schools not provide condoms to my kids. That way I can teach them as the parents choose. And no, teachers aren't parents, and for that matter, teachers have been burdened with teaching kids about sex long before abstinence programs hit the scene, and there's been problems all along. Some countries have been able to have comprehensive sex education and it seems to have had an impact. Others haven't, despite as comprehensive and liberal approach as one can get. For my part, the fact that we assume parents won't teach their kids is a sad testimony to the quality of parents today. Either that, or parents are far better than we are told, and we just don't like what the parents may want to teach.
Sweden has one of the lowest STI infection rates in the world and they have the most liberal sexual education policy in the world.
Flinging condoms at the situation does nothing, but comprehensive education does.
And some countries that have been emphasizing comprehensive sex education have disastrously high rates of STDs and HIV, others have low. Some countries that have pulled together and focused on abstinence have managed to keep rates low, while others have not seen such progress. So my point is, obviously it’s more than just educate. There must be far more complex and varied reasons than just ‘gotta teach them more.’ There must, at the end of the day, be more to it than that.
Again, the "conservative" view of "just say 'No"" is shown again to be overly simplistic and unrealistic.
People have sex-it's one of the reasons there's 6+ billion people on the planet.
And, in the 19th century, people were married and on their own when they were 15. Just because we, as a society, extended adolescence to age 22, doesn't mean nature did, too.
I hope my daughter does not come home with that excuse. I will have no choice but to go to the store and by her a case of condoms.... not.
what excuse?
I hope you enjoy being a grandfather.
In 2.5 million years of humans existing along with 10,000 years of recorded history, the whole not telling kids to have sex has never worked.
I don't know how old your daughter is but you would be surprised what many teens get away with. I went to an all girl school, it was private, and mostly upper middle class and upper class students from two parent family homes went there. So many parents bragged that their daughters were virgins and all I could do was be privately amused.
the racial statistcs in the CDC report are truly shocking!
Not to someone that worked in the field.
In fact when we would see a white guy in the clinic waiting to be interviewed for syphilis we were virtually certain that our interview was not close to being done until we got males being named. We were certain that this guy was bi or gay.
Those white suburban boys and girls may have been having a lot of sex back then. But they were not nearly at the same risk as other sub-groups for catching STD's..
liberal sex education :/
Haven't we had enough evidence that abstinence only sex education is a failure? It just doesn't work.
Safe sex education and parental responsibility do work. As a society, we only have control over the former. The times are a changing and we cannot continue to pretend that 2009 is 1850.
Abstinence works. The failure I see in society's lower expectations from our children. We removed the stigma of underage sex & pregnancy and have replaced them with baby showers when they come home pregnant at 14.
Abstinence certain does work.
Abstinence sex education certainly does not.
Nuns are not at that high of a risk of getting STD's. As close to zero as you can get.
Abstinence sex education is a joke......if in fact there is no safe sex information being given.
the abstinence only education does not work. there is plenty of research on this.
judging from your posts i would bet that your kids are doing a lot that you dont know about
Remember those "shock and awe" films they used to show in driver's ed class? Films like "Last Date" and "Mechanized Death?"
Maybe we need to show flims like those in sex ed classes. Adults talking about the true horror of contracting STD's. Incurable ones as well as the treatable ones. With truly gruesome pictures.
Of course the conservatives would object, because MY kids aren't having sex! Just ask Sarah Palin!
that is a great idea. in my public high school in NJ they had a woman who was HIV positive talk to our class about what she goes through every day. it scared the daylights out of me and definitely made me think twice and make better decisions.
Everyone that went thru bootcamp in the 40's...50's....60's....saw those movies. (I have no idea about the 70's on)
And those movies did nothing that I could see in keeping the std rates down among the sailors and Marines I knew.
It certainly did not lead to a great use of condoms.
Education not fear.
And then hope for the best.
Having worked for years in the CDC STD program this is all a bit sad to me. When HIV hit in the early 80's, and once we realized how easily preventable that infection was, I honestly thought that the days of bad blood and GC were on their way down to very low levels. And would stay there.
But the reasons why there is an increase is a lot more complicated than just parents not talking to their childern.
I have no doubt that if you look at an std map of the country you will see two things. Areas where there is a LOT of infection and areas where there is very little infection. The same going certain population sub groups. Some get it a lot. Many get it very little.
On many forums where men who want sex with other men post the desire for BareBack sex is still there and thriving. Are these mostly HIV+ men? Maybe. But the fact that this is still seen as an OK way to have sex with strangers is very troubling.
We can only blame this rise on ourselves. You would of had to have lived on mars the last 20 years to not know the importance of condoms in this day and age.
This article states there is a huge rise in the 15-19 year old group being infected, so sex education would probably make a big impact.
I agree. Sex education does seem to work.
But just saying there is a big rise in this age group does not tell us a whole lot
A rise from what level? Where do these kids live? Race? What infections are we talking about? Economic status?.
My guess that the epi guys at CDC know exactly what groups in this country need to be targeted. We certainly did when I was on the clock.
STD's have never really been an equal opportunity infection in the US. Well the opportunity has been egual the reality has not been.
in my limited experience with the gay male community, I believe most of those people identify as positive or negative, meaning, they make an effort not to spread the infection. it is still very present in the gay male community though.
You would be surprised.
Because of my std work I do a lot of reading. Both on gay sites and straight ones. For pros and for other hook ups.
Now seeing someone asking for BB is not the norm. But I am shocked at the number of BB requests I have seen with virtually none mentioning their status . (although maybe asking for BB is a code word as well as an inclination?)
I have been told that there are HIV+ specific dating sites and I do assume that on those its different.
So I am not saying you are wrong. I am saying I have not seen it.
But losing the fear of contacting HIV and going BB means a very large increase in STD's.
If parents won't have honest and comprehensive convos with their kids about this, then schools will have to step in. This is a public health and safety issue.
schools are not parents. you might feel that way, but then one parent might object, and then the school wont do anything because of the objection. there needs to either be a national mandate for schools or parents need to take responsibility.
Is this ANOTHER Carrie Prejean thread?
With internet porn, what thinking man has to bother anymore with infested, expensive, tempermental women. Seriously...
It takes two to tango sweetie. STD's are spread that way you know. women get it from men, men get it from women. Your comment is offensive and quite frankly you sound a bit creepy.
Thank Gob you found internet porn so women don't have to be bothered by you.
Seriously, you must be talking about your mother.
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First Posted: 11-16-09 07:37 AM | Updated: 11-16-09 08:30 AM