Syphilis Outbreak

If you have a child in the tween/teen years, you might want to print this story off and hand it to them. You can tell them to inform their friends if you don't want to accuse them of having sex. When I was in high school, the promiscuous people were worried about Herpes and AIDS. I don't even know if I ever heard anyone say the word Syphilis. I wonder if this is a new trend? What did your high school friends worry about when it comes to STD's? On second thought, just forward them this link: NewsAnchorMom. The picture I just found is enough of a warning for most kids. Disgusting!

FROM CNN: Health officials say it's a disturbing trend. So, they are warning parents now: talk to your teens before it's too late. If Greg Hearstsill shows up at your house consider yourself forewarned. "Nobody like to see me walk up on their porch."

Heartsilll is a disease intervention specialist for the Oklahoma County Health Department. His job is to inform people that they may have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. "But there is good news and bad news about that. The bad news is you may be some contact with an STD, but the good news is at least they can do something about it."

He says this latest outbreak of syphilis among teenagers means more needs to be done to reach this population. "I don't think they get the education they need to know about or the responsibility that goes along with having sex."

The state department of health says the disease may be arising from teen group sex parties. "I think that unprotected sex is really what is the problem and what may fostering the spread of these diseases."

So tonight a warning for parents and especially their teenagers: If you are having unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, you may be at risk for other syphilis and other serious STD's.

Health officials are trying to spread that message hoping Greg Heartsill won't have to knock on your door.

-NewsAnchorMomJen

Kids and STDs

I know it's scary to think about your child getting a sexually transmitted disease. If you're like me you think, "That won't happen to my kids. They won't be that stupid." However, it does happen to a lot of kids and they don't necessarily have "bad" parents. So, you might want to start planning "the talk" with your kids. Experts say it's a good idea to talk to your kids about oral sex by age ten. I am not sure if any of my friends even had their first kiss by 10 -years-old. Wow, that seems young!

Here's the latest information on kids and STDs:

A news study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows at least one in four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease. (That is insanely high!)

The study found the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in girls age 14 to 19. The highest overall prevalence is among black girls. Nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. Among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the rate was 20 percent.

The study included more than 800 girls who participated in a 2003-2004 government health survey.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Academy of Pediatrics on the HPV Vaccine

Will any of you give the HPV vaccine to your girls?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen