Abstinence is saying YES to the rest of your life. Here are the statistics to help you decide:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
STDs are the most common infectious disease in the US. There are 8 common STDs in the US and 25 less common ones. Most people don’t know they have a disease and unknowingly contaminate others long before they ever get tested.
Some STDs can cause damage that never goes away. Some STDs can make women and girls infertile. Others lead to cancer. Of course, HIV/AIDS can kill.
STDs are spread three ways:
- Sex: This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Some STDs can also be spread when skin touches skin during sex, or touching of sexual organs.
- Blood contact: Some STDs can be spread through infected blood. Used needles can have infected blood on them and can spread some STDs.
- Pregnancy: A pregnant female can give some STDs to her unborn baby. A mother can give some STDs to her baby when breastfeeding.
More than 65 million Americans have an STD that can not be cured with medication. These include herpes, Hepatitis B, and HIV. Experts estimate that about 19 million Americans get an STD every year. 1 in 2 (50%) of every newly diagnosed STDs infects a teenager or young adult. That means that teenagers and young adults are getting infected with STDs faster than any other group in America.
Teenage girls get infected with STDs more easily than adults. One reason is that their reproductive system has not finished developing, and their membranes are thinner and more easily damaged so infections can get in.
STD management has a high cost. STDs in the United States cost up to $14.1 billion in direct medical costs every year.
Find out more: www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/stds/common_std/common_std.html
Teen Pregnancy
1 in 3 teen girls in the United States is estimated to get pregnant at least once
before age 20. Pregnancy has very important consequences for teen girls and
teen boys, and their children. Having a baby as a teen makes it much harder for
a boy or girl to reach their goals, such as finishing high school, going on to
college, getting a good job or getting married when they grow up.
Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually.
Find out more: www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_preg/teen_preg.html
The Emotional Risks of Early Sexual Activity
People often believe that the only risks from teens having sex are pregnancy or getting an STD. Not true. Teens who have sex are at risk for emotional problems too. Research shows that 2 out of 3 (66%) sexually experienced teens wish they had waited longer before first having sexual intercourse.
Find out more: www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/emotional/emotional.html
Teens, Sex and the Law
According to Florida state laws, a child under 16 years of age cannot consent to sexual activity, regardless of the age of the defendant. A child who is at least 16 years of age and less than 18 years of age cannot consent to sexual activity if the defendant is 24 years of age or older.
Find out more: www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_sex/teen_sex.html
Some studies show that parents have the greatest influence on their teens’ sexual decisions – more than their peers or media.
9 out of 10 teens say that it would be easier to wait to have sex if they could talk with their parents about it.
Eighty-five percent of teens think sex should take place only in committed relationships.
More than 70 percent of teens don’t think it’s OK to have sex while in high school.
Parents who talk to their kids early and often about the importance of waiting are more likely to have children who wait.
When teens were asked who their role models were, the NUMBER 1 answer among 87% of teens was their PARENTS.
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