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The results are in. There is an epidemic of sexually transmitted disease (STD) among teenage girls in America. The Center for Disease Control released the results of a new study and the data is startling. Among those who admitted to having sex, roughly 3 million girls are carriers of STDs. Some are life threatening. The grim reality is that 1 in 4 girls have an STD.

Here are some of the troubling statistics,

“A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls — nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.” [1]

Is this an indictment on our sexually promiscuous culture, or what? According to Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine, “For many, the numbers likely seem overwhelming because you're talking about nearly half of sexually experienced teens at any one time having evidence of an STD.”

The CDC study reveals that a huge number of girls are just plain ignorant about pregnancy and disease prevention. Either that or they have convinced themselves that they are immune to sexually transmitted diseases. They have the “it will never happen to me” mentality. I presume they are not your ordinary run of the mill teenage girls – they must be Superteens! Superteens think they’re made of steel…indestructible….able to ward of maladies that would crush most mortals. At the risk of offending teens, this way of thinking really is the height of stupidity.

I say that because there’s a plethora of information on so-called “safe sex” literally at their finger tips. Yet some teens are under the misconception that the withdrawal method will protect them, or that Coca-Cola has spermicidal capabilities, and also kills STD germs. (Coca-Cola does not promote any of their products for medical use. So in that sense it’s not “the real thing.”)

Here is some disturbing news for parents who hide their heads in the sand. You know who you are. You’re the ones who prefer not to know what your kids are doing when they’re not at home. To put it bluntly, Mr. & Mrs. Ostrich—slap!-- your precious daughter could have a case of the clap. Worse. She may be spreading it around to her boy “friends.” Obviously someone is!

Which brings me to another CDC report released March 12. Reuters reports that syphilis rates are up for the seventh straight year. “Homosexual and bisexual men accounted for 64 percent of syphilis cases in 2007, up from 5 percent in 1999” and “Syphilis rates have been surging in homosexual and bisexual men in the past decade particularly among those who are highly sexually active with multiple partners.” According to one CDC epidemiologist, “Syphilis can increase the likelihood of HIV transmission two to fivefold.” [2] This is another serious health concern.

But this article is not about “mature” adults and their bad choices. It’s about how our pornified culture is affecting the younger generation.

Most parents teach their child to look both ways before he or she crosses the street…never talk to strangers...brush and floss. Most parents make sure their kids eat healthy. When a teenager gets behind the wheel of a car, parents urge them to buckle up. They set a curfew, and when Madison is late coming home, they worry.

Then one day you learn, to your horror, that 14-year-old Madison has contracted the herpes virus…or gonorrhea…or syphilis…or even worse -- the human papillomavirus, which can cause infertility, cervical, and vaginal cancer in women. You wonder, “Where did I go wrong?”

Maybe this will help. Responsible parents instill moral values in their children. They teach them right from wrong. They also practice what they preach. Plus they set a good example for their kids to follow. The problem is a lot of parents are not fully engaged in raising their offspring. Which explains why so many kids are out of control. Even children from Christian homes are unmanageable.

You’re thinking, “Here she goes again, wagging her finger at poor parents.” I wouldn’t have to finger wag if moms and dads were doing their job. Yes, parenting is hard. And it can be as frustrating as all get out. Admittedly, being a parent takes perseverance! But the rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain. And, yes, parenting can be painful.

Good parents will set boundaries for youngsters and if they step over the line, they’ll be disciplined. Then they’ll understand the old cliché: there are consequences for bad behavior. Moreover, good parents will make use of the “N-word”…No! And don’t wimp out or your child could become a statistic in the next CDC report. Keeping that in mind, here are a few more stats to mull over,

“Four common diseases were examined — human papillomavirus, or HPV…which affected 18 percent of girls studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and herpes simplex virus, 2 percent.”

Hard to believe, isn’t it?

I have talked to countless women in their 50s and 60s who went through the war of ’65 that was waged to rid the world of traditional moral values. It was aptly called the “sexual revolution.” These women have regrets to numerous to mention. There were no big winners, only losers. The war brought “free love” and along with so-called love came abortion on demand, STD’s and no-fault divorce. Many sexually liberated women are shackled with one or more STDs. As a result, some of them are infertile. Some have had to battle cancer. Too many lost that battle. Untold numbers of women experienced unwanted pregnancies that resulted in abortion. Millions of women limped out of the sexual revolution with dreadful battle scars. But I digress.

What a large number of young women seem not to understand is the pain and humiliation caused by STDs. Many are life-long diseases. No vaccine. No cure. No fun.

Untold numbers of women have experienced the chilling phone call that their pap smear is abnormal, and they’re frightened by the news. Suddenly an alarm blares in the mind: Cancer! Cancer! Cancer! More tests, a few weeks of anxiety, and a lot of earnest prayer follow the news.

What is to be done about the STD epidemic? The Left will continue to urge children to “explore their sexuality” while the abortion mill, Planned Parenthood, promotes condoms and birth control pills to our youth. Health officials will tout the Gardasil vaccine that protects against some, but not all, cervical cancers. Pharmaceutical companies will push the morning after pill. The Religious Right will try to get their abstinence and pro-life message out to kids, and will be summarily mocked by the media for being backward thinking. (Abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and protecting against STDs. Visit the LifeWay: True Love Waits website, http://www.lifeway.com/tlw/) And who knows, perhaps some pastors will have the courage to preach on sin and repentance, and advocate biblical morality. (But I wouldn’t count on it.)

One thing is for certain, though. Becoming sexually active has big time consequences. To that end, here are some scary facts to consider:

Scary fact #1 Unwanted pregnancy. (Note: Today many young women do not even know who the father of their child is. Hence, the rise in DNA testing.)

Scary fact#2 Some STDs, like genital herpes, remain with you for life. Herpes infection can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. It frequently causes psychological distress in people who know they are infected. “The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital herpes, is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.” [3]

Scary fact #3 There are 100 different strains of human papillomavirus. It can cause genital warts but often has no symptoms. HPV can cause “cervical cancer and other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. Cervical cancer does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced.” [4] Scary fact #4 A large number of girls/women have a venereal disease, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, PID, and they don’t even know it.

Scary fact #5 According to a national survey of American high school youth, teenage girls who have multiple sexual partners in a short period of time are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors such as “fighting, binge drinking, smoking cigarettes, using cocaine or sniffing glue.” And, “Girls with multiple sexual partners were also likely to have had unprotected sex the last time they had sexual intercourse…”

I’ve offered just 5 scary facts. There are others too numerous to mention. If you’re still not convinced that engaging in sexual relations with multiple partners is risky, and you continue to put yourself at risk, you’re future outlook is bleak.

What does the CDC recommend young women do?

“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 Gardasil vaccine, as previously noted, does not work for all types of HPV so using it is analogous to placing a bandage on a severed artery. And like most drugs Gardasil has side effects. Plus the shots are painful! [5]

I repeat, abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and protection against STDs.

Liberals reading this are rolling their eyes and gnashing their teeth at the mention of the “A-word.” They say, “Kids are going to have sex no matter what parents do or say.” Which is their way of saying back off! Leave the kids to their own devices. Most liberals think we “moralists” shouldn’t try to stop young people and homosexuals from passing on deadly diseases. “Just leave them alone.” So, if I see someone jogging in the center lane of the San Diego freeway at high noon, I shouldn’t slow down? Just keep the pedal to the metal? Pray he doesn’t get hit?

For most liberals right is wrong and wrong is right. Good is bad and bad is good. Normal is abnormal and abnormal is normal. Whatever advances their cause is what counts. “We must remember that liberalism is not just a system of bad ideas. It is a religion with its priests, creeds, confessions, and dogmas. Liberals worship the system, their church. They gladly sacrifice themselves and anyone else, friend or foe, who gets in the way of the cause. They are more religious than most Christians. They are more dedicated than most Christians.” [6]

In the liberal’s way of thinking pretty much anything goes. Liberals view themselves as tolerant of the behaviors of others. They’re broad-minded. Generous. Untraditional. Unorthodox. Progressive.

Liberal expressions include,

As long as I’m not hurting anyone Whatever floats your boat Make love not war Flower power Let it all hang out Different strokes for different folks Go with the flow Don’t push your morality on me It’s nobody’s business what I do Everyone’s doing it Change agents Revolution! Big deal Whatever

Most liberals marginalize people of faith. Some of the smears used against those who don’t agree with their secular worldview include,

Puritanical moral crusader Moralizing hypocrites Self-righteous hypocrites Intolerant Sexually repressed Internally conflicted Taliban Bigot Hate-filled Homophobe Out of touch with reality Out of the mainstream

All the name-calling aside, the harsh reality of sexual “freedom” is that having sex with multiple partners does, in fact, hurt people.

One last thing. For the committed Christian, sex outside of the bond of marriage established by God (Genesis 2:18-24 ) is a sin. There are “Christians” who claim, wrongly, that nowhere in the Bible does God say not to have sex before marriage. Here are a few of the verses that address sexual immorality (fornication): Mat 15:19, Mark 7:21, Acts 15:20, 29, 21:25, 1 Cor 6:13, 18, Gal 5:19, Eph 5:3, Col 3:5, 1 Pet 4:3, Rev 2:14, 20-21, 9:21. So Scripture actually does have quite a bit to say on the subject of sex. Now, this won’t sit well with those who go on the assumption that God just wants us to be happy; therefore He doesn’t actually expect singles to refrain from having sex. Take the time to check the passages cited and you’ll see that sexual relations between a man and woman who are not married to each other is right up there with the worst sins of humanity, such as murder, adultery, theft, lying, and so on...Ouch!

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:4-16

Marsha West
Berean Research (Owner, Editor)

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