As parents and teachers discuss that most appropriate and effective method of educating children about sexual health, researchers have been examining current high school health programs in the hope of understanding their effect on students. They found that many of these classes are not helping kids understand the importance of saying no to unwanted sexual advances or practicing safer sex.

The study, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, found that in health classes where the primary focus was scoring well on tests, students were less likely to report that they plan to wait to have sex. However, when classes revolved around learning the material simply to improve the health of students, the kids said they felt better prepared to handle any type of sexual situation in a mature manner.
“In health education, knowledge is not the most important outcome. What we really want to do is change behaviors, and testing is not the way to achieve that,” said researcher Eric Anderman.

According to a 2009 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46 percent of high school students reported having had sex and 39 percent of this population did not use a condom. These statistics suggest that more focus needs to be put on the importance of being sexually responsible, not on testable material.

It’s a fact these days that young people have the highest risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people between the ages of 15 and 24 have a much higher chance of developing one of these infections, regardless of race or gender. In response to this, teachers and parents have been working to try and find a message that will get through to this generation so that they can understand the dangers of STDs and the importance of practicing safer sex.

Recently, the rapper Lil B released a song called “I Got AIDS” in the hopes of eliminating the stigma of this disease and bluntly explaining the dangers of STDs to kids.
“I’m not [having sex with multiple partners], and I want people to know, if you are doing that, you are at high risk of getting AIDS or other STDs and you need to make sure you get tested,” said the rapper, quoted by MTV.com. Getting celebrities involved could be one way to get through to young people about the importance of making responsible sexual decisions.

One of five New York City borough’s The Bronx, ranks among the worst counties in the U.S. for teen sexual health, including pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates. That was the conclusion that New York University (NYU) researchers came to after studying adolescent sexual behavior in the area, according to Health Canal.
The reason behind these numbers remains a mystery, considering that the rate at which these kids are engaging in sex and using condoms is on par with the rest of the country, yet STD rates in the Bronx surpass the national average. New York Daily News reports that researchers suggested that poverty may be to blame for the spike in infections and pregnancies.
“The Bronx in relation to the city and the rest of the country is a community that really needs services and funding for [teen health programs],” said Estelle Raboni, of the Morris Heights Health Center, quoted by the news source.
These findings may inspire NYC officials to re-evaluate the sexual health resources available to Bronx youth, in the hopes of reducing STD infection rates in this area.

By Dan Bodde
Date: 2/4/2012

A recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that even with greater efforts to educate the public on the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the importance of practicing safer sex, there are 19 million new cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia in the U.S. each year. This is a high number, especially considering that these infections are preventable.

USA Today reports that the most significant rise has been seen in chlamydia, with rates of the disease steadily increasing during the past 20 years.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, chlamydia sometimes presents with little to no symptoms, so a person can pass it on to their partner without even knowing they are infected.

“STDs are one of the most critical health challenges facing the nation today,” CDC researchers said in their report, quoted by the news source.
The report also found that while syphilis rates fell slightly from 2009 to 2010, the number of infection among young black men is up 136 percent since 2006.