One in four girls have an STD

    Two janitors gasped and giggled as they saw what was left forgotten under one of the cafeteria tables at the beginning of B Lunch a couple of weeks ago: an unopened condom. One of them used a broom to sweep it up as the other just expressed disapproval.

    Protection seems to have been neglected as shown in a new study where one out of four girls between the ages of 14 and 19 was estimated to have a sexually transmitted disease. That means that 3.2 million girls in America are infected with either HPV, which was found in 18 percent of those tested and can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts, Chlamydia (four percent) which can cause infertility, Trichomoniasis (two and a half percent), and genital herpes (two percent). However, the study only tested for those four STDs, so there are most likely more infected girls with HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis that need to be taken into consideration.

    For most, it was not a surprise to hear, just disgusting to have to admit. “That’s gross. That’s really nasty. I’m not surprised because people nowadays are dumb,” said freshman Knial Saunders. Abstinence rates have gone up, with 53% of high school students admitting to never having sex in 2005 compared to 46% in 1991. Even condom use has gone up from 58 percent admitting to using a condom the last time they had sex in 2001 compared to 46% in 1991. Since this study is the first of its kind, there is a chance that the STD rates were once higher but now have lowered to a quarter of girls.     However, 25% of teenage girls with an STD is still a significant portion of the teenage population and much greater than it is in Europe.

“There are so many girls just willing to have random sex with guys,” said sophomore Tim Davidson. Though this may be the case with some girls, of the girls that admitted to having only one sexual partner in the survey, 20% ultimately had contracted an STD.
    While one out of five white and Hispanic girls have an STD, the percentage was much higher for black girls- almost 50%.
“It is sad that black people have to go through this,” said freshman India Becton. “We need to be examples for our little sisters.” Researchers have accounted such reasons as limited access to healthcare as a possibility for the high rate.

    But for the effect that this has had on all girls, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America blames the abstinence only sex-education programs that are implemented in many public schools. “I don’t understand that logic,” said health teacher Gabriel Romano. “I would think it would be just the opposite. I think abstinence is the only way to go. Kids who are sexually active have to listen more carefully [in class]. [Sex] is not just physical, but emotional.”

    Many teens now are abandoning condoms or any protection. It is hard for some to believe that sexually active teens have a chance of greatly reducing the risk of contracting an STD, but they are not using it. “Some girls don’t care about their life. I’ve met girls like that,” said sophomore Angel Balbuena.
“They’re too young,” said junior Guillermo Lozano, “and probably not responsible enough.”
“It is very sad and very tragic, and it is not man’s fault,” said senior Geo Beltran. So whose fault is it? Though it was only girls who were studied, who is to say STDs are not just a prevalent in teenage boys? The blame rests on both of the genders and their irresponsibility.
“It’s the guys’ fault too,” junior Brian Ma.  Many agreed that girls are pressured to not use protection.
    “There’s so many who don’t plan to have sex; it’s just in the spur of the moment. They don’t want to have to rush to the store to buy condoms,” said senior Jessica Delnero.

    “But it’s not only the teachers’ fault,” said junior Robin Scott. “The parents should have ‘the talk’.” Some teenagers are just ignorant of the consequences that their actions bring. Others that were interviewed did not even know what an STD was.
    Getting tested is an important part of keeping healthy and free of STDs, but many girls are too afraid to even visit their doctor about the issue because they are afraid of their parents finding out. “The reason why people won’t get tested is because they’re embarrassed. They’re embarrassed, but it’s such   a big deal,” said Delnero.

    “My girlfriend doesn’t have an STD, so I’m happy,” said Ma.  Though some would argue that safe sex is no sex, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that girls need to be screened and vaccinated to prevent contracting an STD if they are sexually active and practice “safe sex.” Gardasil, a vaccine introduced in 2006, guards against HPV, which is also known as a silent virus. People can become infected with it but while having no symptoms, and unknowingly pass it on to their partners. Antibiotics can treat and cure Chlamydia and Trichomoniasis, but most teens would probably not enjoy having to deal with infections that cause itching or redness, discharge, bleeding, and burning even for a second. The CDC also suggests that sexually active girls take annual screenings for Chlamydia.

    “They do listen [in class], but they’re just curious about having sex,” said Scott. But according to these statistics, this curiosity seems to be blinding them from thinking about the predicaments they may entangle themselves in if they are not careful.
    “They need to stop having sex because they’re careless,” said freshman Adrienne Williams. “They don’t think about what happens tomorrow.” Teens are always being accused by adults of not thinking about their futures and being irresponsible, so maybe now it is time for them to take control of their lives.
    Not everyone is in a rush to have to deal with the responsibilities of sex. “They’re too young,” said junior Guillermo Lozano. “I’m still waiting for my special someone.”