According to a study released in March 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control, one in four teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United States is infected with at least one sexually transmitted disease. African-American girls are infected at twice the rate (48%) of white girls (20%). The two most common STDs are HPV and chlamydia.

Although the condom culture insists that the solution lies in more condoms and better training, we are seeing an increasing number of teens coming into our Centers for pregnancy tests. Many of these teens are professing Christians who just didn’t get the message. God’s Word says that sex was intended only in the confines of marriage, and we’re there to help them get back on track.

“If a client’s pregnancy test is negative,” said Manassas Center Director Sheri Bailey, “we talk to her about the only way to avoid pregnancy, which is through purity. We discuss what kind of STDs are out there, and how common they are. If a girl is already pregnant, we still talk to her about having healthier relationships and making good choices for herself and her baby. If the client is receptive, we talk about how God created sex to be enjoyed within the bounds of marriage, and how He has the best plan for us.”

"It continues to astound me that our society is willing to tell kids to abstain from the dangers of smoking or drinking but not premarital sex. If America is truly committed to disease prevention, and the emotional well being of our teens, then we must be committed to abstinence - the only method that works 100% of the time.

Tony Perkins

Family Research Council