Glee actor says he avoided sex during his teen years due to fear of STDs

Actor Matthew Morrison, who currently stars in the ABC television series Glee, recently told Female First magazine that he was scared of sex when he was a teenager due to the potential risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancy.

He explained to the publication that his father, who practiced midwifery, used to tell the actor stories about teenage pregnancies that highlighted the negative effects of sex among young adults.

"[My father] had this big book with these very vivid pictures of every single STD and he would show me all of them. I was so scared of sex when I was growing up," Morrison told the news provider.

According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of high school students have had sex and 14 percent have engaged in intercourse with four or more partners. The organization notes that individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 account for nearly half of the 19 million new STD cases reported annually in the U.S.

Regular STD screening and consistent condom use may reduce a person's risk of contracting sexual infections.