SEXUAL ACTIVITY (Josh McDowell research 2006 to present) “1 IN 4 U.S. TEEN GIRLS HAS STD STUDY SHOWS MOST COMMON VIRUS CAN CAUSE CANCER” “Among those who admitted having sex, 40 percent had an STD.” “The overall STD rate among the 838 girls in the study was 26 percent, which translates to more than 3 million girls nationwide, the CDC said.” “Test results” “The CDC tested teens ages 14 to 19 for four infections:” “Human papillomavirus, of HPV, affected 18 percent in the study.” “Chlamydia, 4 percent.” “Trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent.” “Genial herpes, 2 percent.” (Lindsey Tanner, “1 in 4 U.S. teen girls has STD Study shows most common virus can cause cancer,” Pensacola News Journal, 1A, March 12, 2008) ______________________ “‘ABSTINENCE’ OR ‘COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION?’” “Consequences of Teen Sex – In 2005, 63.1% of American adolescents had experienced sexual intercourse by the end of high school. 3 Many serious health and social problems in Americana society are related to teen sexual activity. These include:” A. “Teen Pregnancy: One in 13 high-school-age girls becomes pregnant each year America.4 Adverse consequences associated with teen pregnancies include abortion, unwed teen parenthood, father absence, poverty, welfare dependence, and the growth of drug abuse, gang culture, and crim.5-9” B. “STDs: STDs have emerged as a significant threat to adolescent health. The consequences include chronic pelvic pain, genital lesions, lifetime infection, infertility, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, damage to unborn children, cancer, and in some cases death.10-13 Adolescent STD rates are higher than rates for all other age groups. One quarter of sexually active teens have an STD,1 and adolescent rates for most STDs are on the rise.11,14,15 The growing STD problem has been called a hidden epidemic.11,16 The direct medical cost of 9 million STD problem new cases of STDs that occurred among U.S. adolescents and young adults (15-24-year olds) in the year 2000 was estimate at $6.5 billion (in year 2000 dollars).17” C. “Poorer Emotional Health: There is a strong associating between sexual activity and poor emotional health for adolescents.” “Sexually active teens are more than twice as likely as virgin teens to be depressed or attempt suicide. Adolescents report a drop in self-esteem after initiating sexual intercourse, and the majority express regret for becoming sexually active.18-21” Sexual Activity – Research 2006 to present
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