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2. Under what conditions? Researchers believe that more than 75% of teens'
first intercourse involves alcohol.
3. How many? By the age of 18, one in five girls will have gotten pregnant.
SEX AND THE RISK OF STDs
1. What are the most common STDs? HPV, Human Papillomavirus: 5.5 million cases
each year. Genital herpes: 45 million current cases (one in five Americans over
the age of 12 infected.
2. How many STDs are there? Currently more than 25. Forty years ago there were
two.
3. How many new cases of STDs are reported each year? Of the 15.3 million new
cases, 4 million teens are infected each year.
4. What's the most lethal STD? AIDS is still the No. 1 cause of death. It has
killed 20 million worldwide. Each year 41,000 new cases are diagnosed in the
U.S. The fastest growing segment of the population to contract AIDS is under 24
years of age, however, 87 percent of teens do not think they are at risk.
SEX AND EMOTIONAL RISKS
1. Is there real evidence of emotional risk of pre-marital sex? Yes. Sexually
active girls are six times more likely to commit suicide than girls who are
virgins. For guys the emotional effects surface in other at-risk behaviors,
such as alcohol and drug use, violence, etc. Sexually active guys are five
times more likely to use alcohol and marijuana than those who are not sexually
active.
2. What are the specific emotional risks? Worry, guilt, fear of future
relationships, loss of self-respect.
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ALCOHOL RISKS
1. How many people are affected? Current statistics reveal that about 12.4
million Americans are heavy drinkers or abusers of alcohol.
2. Who is most likely at risk? Males are more likely to be dependent on
illicit drugs and alcohol than females. The opposite is true of dependency on
prescription medication.
3. Are there any related at-risk behaviors? Alcoholics and drug abusers
are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS, as well as other infectious diseases such
as hepatitis and tuberculosis.
4. What is the cost of alcohol addiction? One estimate holds that untreated
addiction in the U.S. carries a price tag of $276 billion, or the equivalent of
$1,000 per year for every man, woman and child in the nation.
CIGARETTES AND DRUGS
1. What is the trend in smoking? Cigarette use is down among teens,
dramatically. For example, lifetime use among eighth-graders dropped from 36.6
percent to 31.4 percent between 2001 and 2002. Among 10th-graders, it dropped
from 52.8 percent to 47.4 percent, and among 12th-graders it dropped from 61
percent to 57.2 percent.
2. What is the trend in drug abuse? Ecstacy, marijuana, and inhalent use
continued a downward trend in 2001. Cocaine and heroin use, declining for
several years, has leveled off. Between 1 and about 14 percent of teens are
still trying one or more of these drugs.
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