Sound Off: Half of Black Teen Girls Has an STD???

fourty eight percent of black teen girls has an std Last Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control released a study that found that one in four young women or 3.2 million teenage girls is infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

The kicker is, according to the study, nearly half of African American girls (or 48%) in this age group has least one of the following: the human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes, or trichomoniasis, with HPV leading the charge.

Yes, that's right, according to the CDC -- one out of every two African American girls ages 14-19 has an STD.

The report, sponsored by the CDC and conducted by the NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics), took a national sample of 838 young women. The study did not include the STDs syphilis, HIV or gonorrhea.

In a word, this is alarming.

Does this mean that if there are 20 tenth graders at a bus stop, say, the cheerleading squad at an all black high school -- that 10 of them has HPV?

In a word, no, or not necessarily, according to Dr. Stuart Berman, Chief of Epidemiology and Surveillances, STDs at the Centers for Disease Control.

"Put in context, you take a sample, but a sample done in a smart way, so you can extrapolate the data," Dr. Berman explains. "What this study says, is that this is a problem for the country. It's your kid, my kid, the neighbor across the street."

Berman further cautions not to take these results and stigmatize teens, young black women, or by default, young black men, who are most likely their sexual partners.

"These things can be stigmatizing but [loose sexual behavior] is not the reason [for the higher rates]," he says. "Once the community risk is higher, even if your behavior is not higher, the chances are greater."

The doctor says social and economic factors such as access to care, low or no health insurance, incarceration, and racism, all add up.

"There's an aggregate of a whole bunch of community factors, each doing a little bit, making it a little more prevalent," says Dr. Berman.

The key to making any inroads into this problem, says the good doctor, is to have frank, and honest discussions with our kids.

"A lot of kids think, 'He she looks healthy,' 'I'm in love' 'He or she doesn't have any symptoms' and therefore are not at risk. Who is talking to them?"

The two most common STDs in the study -- HPV, and chlamydia -- may not show any symptoms.

The most contagious of these infections, the human papillomavirus, HPV, or genital warts, is responsible for 70% of all cervical cancers. Black women are at least 50% more likely to die from cervical cancer than white women.

HPV and chlamydia are in fact treatable; also, that there is now an HPV vaccine against the virus.

The CDC also reported on results from pilot programs in New York City and California, where the agency found that if you test for STDs where young women get care for other gynecological issues such as pregnancy tests, emergency contraceptives (and I would add abortions) – all of which assume unprotected intercourse -- we can begin to stem the tide.

The agency recommends annual chlamydia screenings for sexualy active women under age 25 and vaccination against HPV for young women and girls between the ages of 11 and 26.

"It's like that show 'Hill Street Blues," says Dr. Berman, who laughs as he says he is dating himself with that reference. "We have to tell our kids, you have to be careful out there."

Sound off.

Tips for STD Prevention

Fighting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is important, because STDs can put women at greater risk for:

Cervical cancer
Pregnancy
Heart disease

What is the best way to react to the news that you have an STD?

Panic
Denial
Seek proper treatment

Should you wait until you or a loved one have symptoms to plan for reproductive health?

Yes
No
I'm not sure

While HPV can cause cervical cancer, Chlamydia can lead to:

Kidney disease
Infertility
Lung problems

The CDC recommends vaccination against HPV for women and girls between the ages of 11 and 26. What is the name of the HPV vaccine?

JAMA
Elsevier
Gardasil

Is there any way to completely prevent STDs?

Yes
No
I'm not sure

If you cannot abstain from sex, which contraceptive can protect you from many STDs?

Birth control pills
Condoms
The IUD

How often do you need to use a condom for effective protection?

Most of the time
All the time
Only with strangers

Does a woman have other options if she cannot get her partner to use a condom?

Yes
No
I'm not sure

What is the most important thing for a teen to remember about STDs?

Get tested and practice prevention
Don't worry, be happy
Only have sex with trusted partners

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