Facts about STDs and Students in the United States

Real Alternatives is committed to providing women with assistance as they make decisions regarding unplanned and crisis pregnancies. In addition, Real Alternatives provides information in a number of related fields, including STD statistics and methods of prevention. Sexually active teenagers put themselves at risk for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), not to mention unexpected pregnancy.

There are a number of facts teenagers should keep in mind prior to engaging in sexual activity. To begin, not all teenagers are sexually active. In fact, between 1991 and 2001, the rate of sexually active students dropped from 54 percent to 46 percent, a figure that has held relatively steady. Similar studies have reported that teenagers who do engage in sexual intercourse often express regret over the decision: nearly three in four high school females who have had sex state that they wish they had waited longer, a sentiment shared by more than half of males of the same age.

In addition to the knowledge that, in fact, everyone else is not doing it, teens should never let a friend or romantic partner pressure them by linking sex with love. If a partner claims that sex is the only way to express love, this partner is disregarding and disrespecting the other’s desires, which is in fact a very poor expression of love. Most importantly, “No” means no, and no further explanation should be necessary.