After four weeks of talking, texting, seeing
each other at school and maybe once a week
seeing each other outside of school they now
consider themselves in love. I believe the
majority of teen girls are trying to emulate older
siblings, friends and the bombardment of media
and TV sways their idea of what the definition of
acceptance really is. Many girls validate their self
worth by how successful they
are with a boy. By having sex,
these girls feel it cements their
relationship and shows true
love.
between the ages of 15 and 19 are infected - the
highest chlamydia infection rate of any age group.
Chlamydia often has no overt symptoms and if
untreated can cause sterility in both males and
females.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Up to 15 percent of
sexually active teenage girls are infected with
Many girls validate their self worth by
how successful they are with a boy
I’m not saying all girls this age
engage in this behavior, but
many do. Even the best of the
best can get caught up in being popular,
accepted and loved.
I feel having sex at this age is a
poor choice. Not only do I
want girls to feel confident in
their self worth and hold true
to their morals and values, I
want teen girls to be more
educated in the
responsibilities of having
sex. I feel most girls
understand having sex at
their age is not appropriate
and ill advised. Parents tell
their children “Don’t have
sex,” “You’re too young to have
sex,” “You’ll get pregnant,” etc. I
feel like teen girls should be taught
the consequences of their actions in
greater detail. Teens feel invincible and you
hear all the time “It won’t happen to me.” I hear
girls say “Wow, I never knew those statistics” or
“Oh, I didn’t know that would happen.”
The statistics are enough to unnerve even the
most grounded parent, which is why abstinence is
so important for teens. However, knowledge is
power and it’s crucial that teens and parents
understand the risks involved in catching an STD.
Common STDS
Chlamydia. This most common bacterial STD is
found in 20 to 40 percent of teens having sex
outside of marriage. Up to 40 percent of all girls
HPV. The majority of those infected ave a
strain that has been linked to cervical
cancer.
Genital Warts. Viral growths
that appear on the external
genital organs, genital
warts infect as many as a
third of all sexually active
teenagers. No
permanent cure exists
for these growths, with
at least 20 percent
recurring following
removal. In females, there
is an association between
genital warts and cervical
cancer.
Herpes. This is a viral infection
that, undiagnosed, can cause
miscarriage or stillbirth during pregnancy.
There is no cure.
Gonorrhea. A highly contagious bacterial infection
affecting the penis in men and the vagina in
women, gonorrhea, left untreated, can cause
sterility, arthritis and heart trouble.
Syphilis. A serious, highly contagious, progressive
bacterial disease that can affect all parts of the
body - t