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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
Comments: (169)
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By: sam on 4/13/2008 7:10PM
Look at who takes the studies don't be fooled by this garbage
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By: Sorrow on 4/15/2008 5:49PM
r u people stupid, this is not a racist situation, this is talking about our young balck girls, it doesnt matter if the article is lying, at least we all know our children are doing thingsthey aren't suppose to be doing, we need to stop blaming other people, but help our children
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By: Brady1111234 on 4/19/2008 3:05PM
You think it's going to get better in the next generation? Black males between 16 and 35 are running around impregnating everything they can stick their dick in! It's moreso the fault of the men, not the females in my eyes. Black women are often burdened with the responsibilty of raising their kids on their own with no support from the loser dead beat daddies! Women have been the backbone of the black community for the past 5 generations! It's time for the men to step up and do something other than sling crack and prostitute sistas to earn a living! If a man has 2 kids with 2 different women out of wedlock, then give him a mandated vasectomy!
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By: Brady1111234 on 4/19/2008 3:03PM
It's simple...they do a study based on a sample. Allow me to explain. If they want to find out the school drop out rate according to race in America, they take a sample of about 1000 students in an area nd break it down. Say of the 1000 students, 650 are white. Of those 700 white students, 500 graduate. then you have 130 black students. Of those, 70 graduate. You have 200 latino students. Of those, 130 graduate. You have 20 Asian students. of those, 18 graduate. Samples like this if done properly will give you an accurate gage of what the numbers are across America.
One of the reasons not talked about in this forum is that Teen girls who are daughters of teen mothers or households where moms are the heads of households, are 4 times more likely to become pregnant, and much more promiscuous. Every national study has shown girls who grow up in a home without a stable male role model are more likely to seek out relationships with men outside the home. This definitely impacts the number of black girls since a much higher percentage grow up without a father figure. This does not mean that all girls with a father figure will not get pregnent, nor does it mean that a woman cant raise her kid to respect herself. It's just the law of averages playing out.
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By: Firstsai on 4/19/2008 4:55PM
What is the point of this research? To get more health care or education for young black women? No...it isn't. Finding negative information on black people has been a cottage industry in this country, since the end of the Civil War. Ever notice in all the research studies you've ever read about black people, not a single one is "positive." Makes you want to say "hmmmmmm." First of all, none of us have seen the study, or know where it was done. None of us know how the study was done. Did they actually examine/test these women, or did they just ask? Were they paid? Did they get any medical care? we have to start asking questions. Particularly galling to me, is the deafening silence from black academia, who should know better. Finally, what was the agenda of the researchers? To provide fodder for Faux News or David Duke (excuse me, Dr. David Duke...he's a PhD now)?
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By: darrell on 5/15/2008 12:14PM
i hope u like this
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By: darrell on 5/15/2008 12:15PM
I THINK BLACK GIRLS ARE WHORES.
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By: dvine on 5/20/2008 3:23PM
Some of these comments are so ridiculous. Even if the statistics aren't for us and by us guess what you don't think there's any truth to it.. Next time your hanging out or walking to work or to school look and see how many pregnant teens are out there. Just walk into a clinic and see how many in there are being treated for stds.. Go to an abortion clinic and see how many black teens are in there. I believe some of the statistics to be true. Hell, call me ignorant.
Then there was a comment about why parents aren't talking to their DAUGTER'S? Comments like that are ignorant. Do women get pregnant on their own? Do women catch STD's from themselves? Why aren't parents talking to their SON'S? There is no single person that is to blame here!
We can talk to our children, brother's, sister's and cousins til we are blue in the face and they are still going to do what they want to do because they feel it is their life and their bodies!! There is peer pressure, feeling the need to experiment, wanting to find out things for themselves and wanting to belong and let's not forget about TV and because of that, there is no amount of talking that is going to change that.
Now there are some that will wait until they are married but the majority won't.
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By: Kannady on 5/21/2008 12:08AM
I don't know where to begin. I'm a Blck woman & mother of four 2 adult Blck young men a 15yr old dghtr and 13 yr old son. I have lived from teen mother on welfare to upper middle class homeowner. How? From self awareness. I found little to no help from my Blck community. Truth is "we" just don't want to hear any negative from outside and worse from one of our own. The We fail ourselves when it comes to our young Black girls and women. I have yet to find programs to enhance our girls education or any prevenitive programs unless it is for teen moms. It is true that STds are rampant in our community. We fail to address the underlining reasons for this. Instead we blame the "Man" why can't we do somthings for ourselves? We already know that there is hardly any help coming from anywhere else. How do you think all these young girls get STDs and HIV? Do we even educate our girls on the greater risk they are at just because of their body"s design as opposed to males? It is so much easier for a female to contract things then it is men HIV for instance. Do we educate our girls that they put themselves at a much much higher risk for cervical cancer if they become sexually active at a young age and the more partners she has over her life time adds even more to that risk.... that is for all women by the way. And what do we do for their self esteem when we allow our daughters to dance in our basements to some of the most degrading lyrics we turn a blind eye to it. Has anyone but me noticed the impact of music on our teens? We are supposed to be parents first not some BLACK force fighting for the rights of negative influneces on our kids just because they come from "US". Am I the only one that has noticed how our girl giggle at being called hoes and bitches and is Shorty supposed to be so term of endearment? We focus so much on the injustice from the outside we fail greatly on the principle that we must first take the plank out of our own eye or why not clean our house first make sure there are no blemishes on us. I want everyone to understand that our young men seem to be a forgotten factor in this equation. Most young Black males have multiple partners thus one young male can infect ten or more young females. But at this point I will ask of the Black males out there ..... how long will you continue to throw your women under the bus and fail once more to take your rightful place as our protectors? Don't give me that crap ...I already know our HISTORY. Try something new for me and come up with another excuse please. I have always noticed how eager we as a people have been to support all our Famous black men in all the rape cases not even knowing the complete facts even God forbid when the so called victim is a child and worse of all shame on us when she is black.What does that ingrain in our girls when even their mothers support these guys. Why don't we address the moral issues we have. Why don't we do more than lip service? I am not a jaded woman by the way I have known plenty of wonderful Black men and my second husband is just one of the many. I am also a nurse and understand fully when I see the multitudes of Black youth tested positive for STDs and HIV that we have a real problem. We need to promote good morals and stop assuming that it is impossible for our kids to remain virgins as 1 option teach them how to use a condom properly. Teach them that oral sex leads to STDs anal sex is not cool it is very risky. Some of our kids can remain virgins but we understand that some wont but lets make it ok for the ones that do and find away to understand the impact of society it's current culture and trends have own our kids starting first with some "INHOUSE" cleaning. Come on can't we stop all this bitterness with in and help our kids for the sake of GOD and ourselves?
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