Teens Should Know About the Risks of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Recently, I watched a deeply disturbing documentary on PBS regarding an outbreak of syphilis in a well-to-do suburb of Atlanta. The tragic nature revealed had a profound effect on me for two reasons.

The first was the absolute sorrow and despair evident in the interviews with all the teens, as they recounted their experiences of sexual activity and experimentation all accomplished in homes from which parents were absent.

The comments of the girls were especially poignant. I use the word "girls" because many of the teens were aged 13 to 15. As several studies have already demonstrated, they expressed universal regret at ever having had intercourse and did so because they felt pressured. Once "initiated," they were apparently resigned to this new role and believed that there was no turning back.

These teens paid a further price in that many of them contacted syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that had been on the decline until several years ago.

Syphilis is especially dangerous because it has three stages that can eventually lead to death, if untreated, and is known to cause birth defects.

It occurred to me that much of what has been labeled as sex education in America today has been woefully inadequate and unreasonably based on the erroneous notion that there is this entity known as recreational "safe sex." Women, far more than men, have been injured by this concept, due to the distinctly different natures of the male and female reproductive systems.

Please read carefully what follows and make sure your sons and daughters have a clear understanding of these symptoms.

Almost without exception, every sexually transmitted disease (STD) does far more damage to women than men.

Bacterial infections:

• Gonorrhea - Men: Yellow penile discharge. Burning on urination. Women: Few if any initial symptoms. Can cause pelvic infections and infertility.


• Chlamydia - Men: Clear penile discharge. Burning on urination. Women: Few if any initial symptoms. Pelvic infections. Damages the fallopian tubes, leading to high rate of infertility.


• Syphilis - Men: The ulcers of the first stage appear on the penis. Women: The ulcers of the first stage may appear only in the vagina and may be missed, allowing it to progress.

Viral infections:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) - Men: Visible warts on the penis. Women: Cervical changes with no symptoms; can lead to cancer of the cervix.


• HIV and hepatitis B and C - Many people show no symptoms, 50 percent have flue-like symptoms. Often goes undetected until discovered in conjunction with another infection or by testing

All of the above occur with unprotected intercourse. Infection rates can be dramatically reduced with condom usage. I would add, though, that condom failure rates are reported to be in the range of 8 to 18 percent, and ask if anyone would board an airplane with the same likelihood of crashing.

What can we do as responsible adults to ensure the safety of our children? Adolescents, when gathered in groups of two or more, must be supervised at all times. The activities mentioned at the beginning of this article all took place between 3 and 6 p.m., when parents were not home.

Make and enforce rules regarding the behavior of your children. The reporter in the PBS piece interviewed several of the parents involved. They were uniformly weak, ineffective and unwilling or afraid to make and enforce rules.

Our job as parents is a difficult one. We demonstrate our love by doing what we believe to be the right thing for our children, whether they like it or not. Many parents fail to understand that the badgering their children subject them to is often a cry to say no and set limits freeing them from the tyranny of their peers.

Teach your children how to avoid or get out of difficult situations. A recent study found that just under 40 percent of male and female college students consented to unwanted sexual activity. They did so for three reasons - to satisfy a partner's needs, to promote intimacy, and to avoid tension in the relationship.

Protection can be implemented by telling your children to never be alone in the company of a member of the opposite sex in an unsupervised home, dorm room, apartment, etc.

Forbid your children to entertain friends of the opposite sex in the bedroom -- even if you're home. Support them by being the "heavy," i.e. "I can't do it because my parents are a couple of wet blankets and won't let me."

Teach them the skills of companionship and model for them activities that form the foundation for relationships. Encourage them to participate in mealtime conversations. Be careful about what you watch on TV or at the movies and don't hesitate to carefully criticize unhealthy behaviors and support those that are positive.

This is a winnable battle. Studies still show that about half of all high school seniors have never had sexual intercourse. There is clear evidence as well that abstinence-based education is working and should be further supported. Even if you've assumed your children know about everything I've mentioned, they will still appreciate hearing about these things from you, because it means that you love them enough to take the time and tell them.

"Your Health" provides easy-to-understand information about common health conditions.