Rates of chlamydia are at a record high, and rates of syphilis rose for the seventh consecutive year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Every year in the U.S., there are an estimated 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)—almost half of them among those age 15 to 24. Pro-family experts say abstinence-based sex education gives teens the skills to eliminate all risk of STIs. However, less than one in four kids has access to this type of program. Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said, “We must increase efforts to prevent the transmission of STIs by providing accurate information and skill-building tools implicit in abstinence-centered education to teens in all communities across America, but especially among those most at risk.”
