A Quarter of Teen Girls in the U.S. Have an STD

The Repercussions of Sex

Before kids make that very adult decision to have sex they need to understand that it can come with many very adult consequences, too.

Pregnancy is often the biggest concern for sex-curious teens. And it should be a major worry, considering that nearly 1 million teenage girls in the United States have babies every year. A recent government report also showed that, in 2006, the number of births by teen moms (ages 15 to 19) rose for the first time in nearly 15 years.

Of course, getting pregnant isn't the only risk that sexually active teens need to be worried about. They should understand that choosing to be intimate also puts them at great risk for STDs — some of which (like AIDS, HPV, and genital herpes) could stay with them for life.

Although AIDS gets far less media attention than it did in decades past, an estimated 42 million people worldwide are still living with AIDS or HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS), with more than 3 million dying every year from AIDS-related illnesses.

And HPV infection is also a serious, though relatively new, concern. It's the leading cause of cervical cancer and genital warts, affecting more than half of sexually active people at some point in their lives — about 6.2 million each year.

These kinds of staggering statistics are why it's crucial for parents to talk to kids and teens about not only sex, but STDs, preferably before they become sexually active.

What This Means to You

STDs can be a frightening and confusing subject, so it might help make potentially uncomfortable discussions a little easier if you're informed by reading up on STD transmission and prevention. You'll want to correct — and certainly not add to — any misinformation. Plus, being familiar with the topic will likely make you feel more confident and at ease.

So, here are a few basic questions you'll want to answer accurately:

How do people get STDs? They aren't just transmitted through vaginal sex — these diseases can be spread from one person to another during anal or oral sex, too.

Can you tell that people have an STD just by looking at them? People can become infected the first time they have unprotected sex and their sexual partners may not even know that they're infected themselves. That's because although some people with certain kinds of STDs (like genital warts and herpes) may have visible signs around the genitals, some may have few (as with chlamydia) or none at all (like with some types of HPV).

How are STDs treated? Some STDs (like chlamydia and gonorrhea) can be cleared up with antibiotics, but some infections — like herpes and HIV — can be treated or managed with drugs but have no permanent cure yet.

How can someone avoid getting an STD? The only sure way to remain STD-free is to not have sex or intimate contact with anyone outside of a committed, monogamous relationship, such as marriage. But anyone who's having sex should always use a latex condom, preferably one with a spermicidal foam, cream, or jelly that contains nonoxynol-9 — though no method can guarantee prevention of all STDs. And most birth control methods (like the patch or the pill) provide no STD protection whatsoever.

Knowing how STDs should be properly prevented and treated is key. A disturbing new report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows that unapproved STD prevention and treatment medications are being sold online — with some being falsely touted as safe and more effective than prescription medicines. Buying their own medications could not only be harmful to kids' health, it could also prove disastrous if they're using unproven treatments and methods that they believe will prevent them from getting STDs.

Kids and teens should never try to diagnose or, worse, treat themselves for something they think they might have. Make sure your kids know that if they see anything anywhere on their bodies that doesn't look quite right or if they're feeling sick in any way, they need to tell you (or their school nurse or doctor) so you can find out what's going on.

Once teens are (or even might be) sexually active, it's also important for them to get regular full physical exams — which can include screening for STDs for boys and girls, and a Pap smear as well as the recently recommended HPV vaccine for girls.

When you discuss STDs, try to address the issue as openly as possible, without getting too emotional or preachy. You want your kids to know you're there to support and help, not to condemn.

The best way to have a healthy dialogue about what your kids are thinking about and what's going on with their bodies is to establish lines of communication early on. If parents aren't open to talking about sex or other personal subjects when their children are young, kids will be a lot less likely to seek Mom and Dad out when it counts.

Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD Date reviewed: March 2008

Sources: "Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Bacterial Vaginosis Among Female Adolescents in the United States: Data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004," March 13, 2008. "FDA Warns Companies Importing and Marketing Drugs Over the Internet that Fraudulently Claim to Prevent and Treat STDs," U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release, March 6, 2008.