During the training, we watched a video titled “Sex – The Rules Have Changed”.

It was very eye opening to me about a situation that has swept in across the teenagers of America. The horrifying truth is that many teens are living uneducated about the seriousness of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and many teens are living under the assumption that if they are using condoms, they are safe, and that is just not the case.

While condom use is on the rise, making pregnancy rates on the decline, the number of teens who have contracted a STD is rising at alarming rates. This clearly indicates that condoms do not protect from contracting a STD, yet the majority of teens are living under the assumption that using a condom is “safe sex”.

The rules have changed. Safe sex isn’t safe.

The Center tries to inform any teenager that walks through the doors of this information so that they will hopefully make life-changes that could possibly one day save their life or the life of their unborn children.

The video shared the story of a teenage couple who gave birth to a baby who ended up in the NICU shortly after birth because she was having unexplainable seizures. Later it was discovered that her father had contracted herpes from a previous girlfriend. The mother of this baby had contracted herpes from this father and the baby contracted herpes from the mother.

This young couple was told that their baby may not survive and if she did, she would be severely mentally handicapped. She did survive and is mentally retarded --- all because of a STD her father contracted by sleeping with his girlfriend.

STDs have become an epidemic in the USA. This year 15 million Americans will contract a STD. Two-thirds of that population will be under the age of 25 years old. That is 10 million people…or the equivalent of 200 football stadiums filled to capacity.

Those are staggering numbers that loudly declare this problem has become epidemic in the USA.

And yet, many teens are completely unaware of this! Why is this video and information not included in sex education class in schools??

Twenty-five percent of teenagers have a STD and 80% of that percentage have no symptoms because, depending on the STD, it can take 5-10 years for symptoms to show.

HPV is the most common STD and accounts for 25-30% of all cervical cancer cases. Early cervical cancer symptoms are being seen in teenagers – teenagers!! Forty-six percent catch HPVV after one episode of intercourse. The cervical cells in teenagers are weaker and less able to fight off diseases.

The only way to have safe sex is to postpone sex until marriage. That is certainly not something teens want to hear.

But teens are not considering the emotional side of sex. There is a very strong correlation between teen sex, depression and suicide.

Girls are three times more likely to attempt suicide if sexually active and boys are eight times more likely. Thirty-three percent of teens have attempted suicide.

Teenagers need to hear this. They need to know there is another way. A way that leads them to genuine love  between one man and one woman for life. The way God intended marriage and the sexual relationship to be.

Girls need to be taught that they are worth saving their bodies for the man they will one day marry. And they are worth more than one teenage boy after another coming along and taking a piece of them away after each sexual encounter that they can never get back.

After several sexual partners, they don’t care about themselves anymore. They feel like an old, worn out, used shoe.

Girls, from early on, need to be taught that they are not an old, used shoe – they are the Glass Slipper and they have something precious that they can save for their future husband.

Virginity is not “old school”. It is God’s way and His ways are perfect. Always.

Not sure how many teens come across this blog, but I encourage anyone reading this to take this post and information and get it out there so that teens can know the dangers they are facing!

*All information and statistics were taken from the video, “Sex – The Rules Have Changed”.

- Elaine