A Million Man March Against STDs?

According to a new CDC study, 1 in 4 American teens has an STD. Specifically, reports CNN, they have one of these: "human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of girls studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and herpes simplex virus, 2 percent."

As unsettling as this news is, it's downright mindbending that black girls' infection rates are more than double those for whites and Mexican Americans; nearly half had at least one STD. It's hard to figure out how to grapple with these numbers; they implicate religious repression, ingrained patriarchy, lack of basic sex ed, pathetic AIDS awareness, nihilism, and childhoods interrupted much too soon. Not just by the STD, but also by the poorly thought out sex that likely caused it.

Nearly half of black teenaged girls has an STD. My daughter will be a teen in only nine years, my son in only six. This is the reality they'll be facing?

I wonder how long it will take the usual suspects to make this, too, a conversation about racism. That's a hell of a lot easier than tackling such an intractable problem head on. Especially since the conversation that we should have can't be had without calling black men on the carpet.

We converged on Jena, Louisiana. We converged for the Million Man March. Will we converge on the local high school, or even more daringly, the local Baptist Church, and take care of our children? I'm betting on a resounding silence.

Comments

The worst part of the American STD epidemic is that infection rates would drop significantly with the right amount of education and prevention. Instead, our schools push an unrealistic abstinence message on our nations youth. The shortsightedness of health "education" in this country is to blame.

Posted by: Kate on 03/12/08 at 1:22 PM Respond

I worry about STD's in relation to my pasty-faced daughters in Appalachia as well.

But I don't think pre-blaming impotent black leaders is a good first step. Wouldn't it be better to focus on what's involved in teen-age sex among black kids--what African-American girls are looking for, patterns of macho among black guys, things like that. Much as I hate the abstinence campaigns, they have had an effect out here of raising the value of virginity, making sex seem more scary, and things like that. That might be one hook. I'm sure there's others.

Posted by: Ric Caric on 03/12/08 at 7:57 PM Respond

"ingrained patriarchy?"
"calling black men on the carpet?"

I see... The women are infected because of men.

But then who infected the men?

Nevermind, lets just blame men.

Posted by: Sally on 03/13/08 at 8:54 AM Respond

A little Sex Education could go a LONG way. Want your kids to Abstain from Sex? Print out the fact that one out of every 4 of their classmates has an STD and it might slow them down a bit. Education, Education, Education.

Anyone who is against explaining the basic facts and dangers about sex is puritanical moron that is putting their kids at danger for these stds.

Posted by: Kirk Berryhill on 03/13/08 at 12:26 PM Respond

Um, that's one in four American teenage Girls, not one in four teens. The study did not survey teenage boys.

Ric Caric, teenagers who take 'virginity pledges' indulge in riskier behaviours like anal sex at greater rates than those who don't. So, I'd be wary of crediting 'Abstinence Campaigns' with any success.

Posted by: Stagyar zil Doggo on 03/14/08 at 12:49 PM Respond

1 in 4 teen gitl have std, and half of Americans have STD, it's reported by cnn. Most of them join the std dating site now, such as HerpesFinder

Posted by: herpesfiinder on 03/21/08 at 6:10 PM Respond