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The New Teens: Sexually Informed and Responsible
By Virginia Gilbert
- Every year, 3 million teens -- about 1 in 4 sexually experienced teens -- acquire an STD.
- In a single act of unprotected sex with an infected partner, a teenage woman has a 1 percent risk of acquiring HIV, a 30 percent risk of getting genital herpes, and a 50 percent chance of contracting gonorrhea.
Kelly, * a 10th-grader at a Catholic high school outside Washington, D.C., believes that the threat of STDs is a "pretty big factor" in teens' decision to abstain from intercourse. However, it's worth noting that Kelly's school does not discuss birth control or provide condoms due to religious beliefs. Kelly's current level of sexual activity is "up to third base." She states that she intends to use condoms when she begins having intercourse.
Sixteen-year-old Ethan,* a 10th-grader at a Maryland private boys' school, strongly believes that the fear of STDs, especially AIDS, keeps many teens from being intimate.
"I would never have sex with someone if I thought they might have AIDS or STDs," Ethan says.
Despite his concern about STDs, Ethan has chosen to be sexually active; he and his current girlfriend are sleeping together and use condoms for protection. Unlike his friends who are waiting to have intercourse, Ethan maintains that he's emotionally ready to be intimate and is comfortable with his level of activity -- although he also says he feels "pressure" from his girlfriend to have sex.
The other teens interviewed for this article unanimously concurred that the STD scare is not the major reason many young people are postponing sex.
Jade, * a 10th-grader who attends a private girls' school in the northeast, is abstaining from having sex with her boyfriend. But she says the fear of STDs hasn't influenced her ecision because "they can be prevented by correct condom use." Matt Jones agrees that most teens don't worry excessively about contracting an STD. Maggie Kozicharow adds that an individual's values have a much greater role in determining whether or not that teenager has sex.
