STDs and Immaculate Infection

This report suggests that we either have a major public health problem or a significant theological event:

More than 10 percent of teens who said they were abstinent also tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, says a study in Pediatrics released Monday — a figure public health advocates say justifies screening all teens for such diseases….

In Wave 3 of Add Health, about 14,000 youth agreed to provide a urine specimen to check for three STDs — gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis.

More than 11,000 of these youth said they had had sexual intercourse in the last 12 months, while the remaining 3,000 youth reported no sexual intercourse during that time.

The STD tests came back positive for 964 youth….

But 118 youth who denied having sexual intercourse also tested positive for an STD. In fact, 60 of these young people said they had never had sexual intercourse in their lives.

Seriously, two comments:

1) Teens need to have real sex education. They need to know that if you put that in there, even if you, for some reason, decide not to call it ‘sex’, you can still get sick.

2) Doctors can’t be complacent. Just because a teen tells you he or she isn’t sexually active, well, trust but verify.

Comments

#1 NewEnglandBob
January 4, 2011

Maybe it is bad air – they have ‘vapors”, so just give them smelling salts for a cure
#2 Eric Lund
January 4, 2011

The arithmetic in that article was butchered. 118/3k is about 4% for “abstinent” teens with STDs, versus 844/11k or about 8% among teens that admit to being sexually active. The only thing that comes anywhere close to “more than 10%” is the fraction of positives claiming to be abstinent.

It does, however, show that abstinence only education does not work.
#3 Mu
January 4, 2011

Eric, 8% + 3% > 10%
#4 Norrell
January 4, 2011

Its common knowledge that Trichomoniasis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are three of the most commonly spread STDS out there whether it be in Teenagers or Adults. I recommend http://GETSTDTESTED.COM for information on STDS and testing options.
#5 youryu
January 5, 2011

The arithmetic in that article was butchered. 118/3k is about 4% for “abstinent” teens with STDs, versus 844/11k or about 8% among teens that admit to being sexually active. The only thing that comes anywhere close to “more than 10%” is the fraction of positives claiming to be abstinent.
#6 metin2
January 5, 2011

, versus 844/11k or about 8% among teens that admit to being sexually active. The only thing that comes anywhere close to “more than 10%” is the fraction of positives claiming to be
#7 metin2 hilesi
January 5, 2011

teens with STDs, versus 844/11k or about 8% among teens that admit to being sexually active. The only thing that comes anywhere close to “more than 10%” is the fraction of positives claiming to be abstinent.

It does, however, show that abstinence only education does not work.
#8 oyun hilesi
January 5, 2011

that article was butchered. 118/3k is about 4% for “abstinent” teens with STDs, versus 844/11k or about 8% among teens that admit to being sexually active. The only thing that comes anywhere close to “more than 10%” is the fraction of positives claiming to be
#9 Andy King
January 10, 2011

The only alternative for this is as you said “Real Sex Education” right from the early schooling.
#10 Paul Murray
January 16, 2011

Gotta love people who don’t get arithmetic. 90% of women X, 85% of men X, therefore, 175% of all people X.
#11 dAVE
January 25, 2011

It’s possible that at least some of the abstinent teens had been infected through sexual abuse, and understandably didn’t report it on the survey.