Blame is most often placed on inadequate sex education, from parents and from schools focusing too much on abstinence-only programs. Add to that a young person锟斤拷s sense of being invulnerable.锟斤拷锟皆斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟街诧拷锟绞合的凤拷锟斤拷时锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷页锟斤拷锟窖ｏ拷锟斤拷锟斤拷枪锟阶拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟叫╋拷敕ㄇ匡拷锟斤拷锟揭伙拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷薹锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟�

锟斤拷This is pretty shocking,锟斤拷 said Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center锟斤拷s Children锟斤拷s Hospital in New York.锟斤拷锟斤拷沙锟阶ｏ拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟绞匡拷锟脚υ硷拷锟斤拷胤贫锟揭斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷亩锟酵猴拷锟揭伙拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟揭窖ё拷锟斤拷锟轿拷锟斤拷直锟斤拷锟斤拷锟金惊ｏ拷

锟斤拷To talk about abstinence is not a bad thing,锟斤拷 but teen girls 锟斤拷 and boys too 锟斤拷 need to be informed about how to protect themselves if they do have sex, Alderman said.锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟绞克碉拷锟斤拷锟斤拷劢锟斤拷锟斤拷锟揭伙拷锟斤拷锟斤拷拢锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟绞拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷女锟斤拷锟斤拷4说锟斤拷锟斤拷要锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟轿拷锟斤拷锟接χ拷8锟斤拷锟轿憋拷锟斤拷锟皆硷拷锟斤拷

Only about half of the girls in the study acknowledged having sex. Some teens define sex as only intercourse, yet other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some diseases.锟节碉拷锟斤拷锟街伙拷锟�50%锟斤拷女锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷知识锟斤拷一些十锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷缘锟斤拷锟斤拷锟揭伙拷纸锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷艿锟斤拷锟轿拷锟节斤拷也锟杰达拷锟斤拷某些锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷

Among those who admitted having sex, the rate was even more disturbing 锟斤拷 40 percent had an STD.锟节碉拷锟斤拷谐锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟轿拷谋锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷瞬锟斤拷锟剿硷拷锟侥高达拷40%锟斤拷锟较ｏ拷

锟斤拷Those numbers are certainly alarming,锟斤拷 said sex education expert Nora Gelperin, who works with a teen-written Web site called sexetc.org.锟皆斤拷锟斤拷专锟斤拷 Nora Gelperin锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟皆斤拷锟斤拷俜锟斤拷锟秸撅拷锟剿碉拷锟斤拷锟叫╋拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷十锟斤拷锟金惊ｏ拷

锟斤拷Sexuality is still a very taboo subject in our society,锟斤拷 she said. 锟斤拷Teens tell us that they can锟斤拷t make decisions in the dark and that adults aren锟斤拷t properly preparing them to make responsible decisions.锟斤拷锟斤拷说锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟饺伙拷锟揭伙拷锟角筹拷锟斤拷傻幕锟斤拷猓拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟角ｏ拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟睫凤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟揭参达拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷准锟斤拷锟斤拷使锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷蔚木锟�

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the study shows that 锟斤拷the national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.锟斤拷锟�9锟狡伙拷锟斤拷锟斤拷j锟较伙拷锟斤拷席Cecile Richards说锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷投锟斤拷15锟斤拷锟斤拷元锟斤拷全锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷叱锟斤拷锟绞э拷埽锟绞拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟脚拷锟斤拷虻ィ锟�

Similar claims were made last year when the government announced the teen birth rate rose between 2005 and 2006, the first increase in 15 years.锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟饺ワ拷锟揭诧拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷说锟斤拷2005-2006锟斤拷锟绞拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷冢锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷状锟斤拷锟斤拷

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 saidCDC说锟斤拷锟节碉拷锟斤拷械锟�838位锟斤拷女锟斤拷锟斤拷锟絊TD锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷26%,锟斤拷锟缴此达拷染锟斤拷全锟斤拷锟斤拷锟斤拷锟角ｏ拷锟劫讹拷锟斤拷.

HPV most common
the national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.锟斤拷.锟斤拷锟斤拷HPV

锟斤拷CDC锟叫撅拷员Sara Forhan

Dr. John Douglas, director of the CDC锟斤拷s division of STD prevention, said the results are the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common sexually transmitted diseases among adolescent girls. He said the data likely reflect current prevalence rates.

HPV can cause genital warts but often has no symptoms. A vaccine targeting several HPV strains recently became available, but Douglas said it likely has not yet had much impact on HPV prevalence rates in teen girls.

Chlamydia can cause an abnormal discharge and painful urination, but often has no symptoms. Signs of trichomoniasis are similar, and both diseases can be treated with antibiotics. Genital herpes can cause blisters but also is often symptomless. It can锟斤拷t be cured but medicine can help.

The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under age 25. It also recommends the three-dose HPV vaccine for girls aged 11-12 years, and catch-up shots for females aged 13 to 26.

The CDC锟斤拷s Dr. Kevin Fenton said that given the potential complications from STDs, 锟斤拷screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among our highest public health priorities.锟斤拷

Douglas said screening tests are underused in part because many teens don锟斤拷t think they锟斤拷re at risk, but also, some doctors mistakenly think: 锟斤拷Sexually transmitted diseases don锟斤拷t happen to the kinds of patients I see.锟斤拷

Teens need to hear the dual message that STDs can be prevented by abstinence and condoms 锟斤拷 and hear them often, said Dr. Ellen Kruger, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

锟斤拷You锟斤拷ve got to hammer at them,锟斤拷 with appropriate information at each stage of teen development to make sure it sinks in, she said.

She said there are a lot of myths out there, too 锟斤拷 many sexually active teens think the withdrawal method will protect them, or that douching with Coca-Cola will kill STD germs.

Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine, said some doctors hesitate to discuss STDs with teen patients or offer screening because of confidentiality concerns, knowing parents would have to be told of the results.

Blythe, who heads an American Academy of Pediatrics committee on adolescence, noted that the academy supports confidential teen screening.