As our readers know, The Quiet Witness is all about abstinence until marriage. It's our belief this is the only sure way to remain healthy both physically and emotionally. Teens and young people who don't complicate their lives with the sometimes messy and even devastating consequences of sex outside marriage enjoy much fuller lives. They are able to focus their attention on those things all young people should be able to enjoy football games, college and a more carefree youth, just to name a few. There is also another very serious and deadly reason that should give any teen considering sex before marriage cause to take a step back and reconsider. That reason, of course, is the risk of HIV.
It seems there is so much information out there; information that's difficult to comprehend and then, with so many statistics, it can be challenging to find the "meat and potatoes" of how HIV truly affects American teens. With that thought in mind, and with the hope this will cause even one teen to w8 for marriage, here are a few hard facts. Note: This information is pulled from the Centers for Disease Control.
Wondering how often a teen or young adult is diagnosed in this country with HIV? The Quiet Witness thought the best way to provide clear information was a comparison. In 2004, there were 2,174 new HIV diagnoses for Americans between the ages of 13 and 24. By 2008, that number had more than doubled. There were 4,883 new HIV diagnoses for Americans in that same age bracket.
These numbers represent 13% of the total number of HIV diagnoses each year. Worse, this statistic is expected to grow.
62% of these 2008 diagnoses were males and 38% were females. All were between the ages of 13 and 24.
The presence of another sexually transmitted disease greatly increases a person's likelihood of acquiring HIV.
Think a cold beer doesn't affect your sex life? Think again. Teens who drink either casually or chronically are more likely to engage in what the CDC calls "high risk behaviors", including sexual intercourse. If you use illegal drugs, the odds are even higher.
Another fact that is not often in the media is the "coming of age" of HIV children born in the 1990s. Many HIV positive mothers gave birth to babies during the 1990s and in doing so, they transmitted the HIV during labor and delivery. These babies are now teens and are struggling with their own unfair hand they were dealt.
The one strongest factor in a teen's or young adult's decision regarding sex is communication with his parents. Parents who are clear in their expectations of their teens fare far better than those who say, "Well, if you're going to do it, be sure to use protection". If you're a parent and wonder if your teens are listening, they are. Finally, the CDC encourages a multifaceted approach. Parents who are involved, teens who are involved in their churches and communities and those teens whose parents expect a level of respect both for themselves and those around them often are the difference in those who choose abstinence and those who do not.
Don't forget The Quiet Witness offers complimentary dating contracts and purity promises for parents and their teens. You may download these at TheQuietWitness.com and of course, we make them available here on our blog. Be sure to browse the selection of W8ing for marriage rings and pendants, too.
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