Dr. Meg Meeker wonders if we will see a warning on the front page of the major news organizations in the U.S. about the startling increase of STDs. Unlikely, says Dr. Meeker. Why? Because most adults, including parents, teachers and politicians, hold the liberal view that sexual activity among teens is acceptable….and healthy.
In a piece she wrote for LifeZette, Dr. Meeker offers her advice on how to keep kids safe:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that the sexually transmitted infections gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia have hit an all-time high. These infections have historically burdened women more than men because a woman’s reproductive anatomy is more complex.
Now these infections are affecting more pregnant women and their newborn babies.
The CDC’s report showed a whopping 36 percent increase of syphilis among women and a 28 percent increase in newborns. Gay men saw a 22 percent rise in syphilis among them — and half of these men also had HIV.
Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center of HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, sounded an alarm. “Increases in STDs are a clear warning of a growing threat. STDs are a persistent enemy, growing in number, and outpacing our ability to respond.”