Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH

Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH, director of Clinic-based Research in the Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, shares her thoughts about the study and offers worried parents advice on their teen's sexual health.

What the CDC report does do is paint a picture showing what we in STD research have known all along: teenage girls are at tremendous risk of STDs. The study used data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in which investigators identified a sample designed to be representative of the U.S. population. They went to participants' houses and tested them for many things, including STDs. In this way, people who may not normally get tested for STDs are represented in the findings.

It's important to note that being African-American is a risk marker rather than risk factor for getting an STD. The higher rates of infection are not related to biological differences, but rather that African-American race is a proxy for other things not generally measured.

The HPV vaccine currently targets two types of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and two types of HPV that cause 90 percent of genital warts. It is very effective at preventing infection from these types of HPV. It is important to know that the vaccine doesn't prevent infection from other types of HPV.

The HPV vaccine is given in three shots, which are given at 0, 2, and 6 months. It is definitely recommended that all girls receive the vaccine, generally at the age of 11 or 12. Older girls and women (up to age 26) should receive the vaccine at any time.

HPV is not curable, but it is treatable and manageable. You can treat genitals warts and changes to the cervix, but the virus is still there.

For so many reasons besides STDs (for example, unwanted pregnancy and intimate partner violence), parents need to help their children to grow up to be responsible, sexually healthy adults. If you don't tell talk to them about STD prevention, pregnancy, mutual respect, and other beliefs you may hold about engaging sexual relationships (whether or not you believe that they shouldn't have sex before they're adult or married), then they'll need to rely on what they learn from other sources, such as their friends and the media.

Rather than having "The Talk," look for "teachable moments" to give developmentally appropriate messages. For example, you're watching a TV show and two characters are talking about condoms. Ask your child what he or she thinks about the scenario and get a sense of his/her thought processes, attitudes, and opinions. Invite dialogue and share your values, as opposed to lecturing. You'll probably say something different to your 7 year old than your 11 year old. There can be many years of these conversations, unlike "The Talk", which can often occur too little, too late.

Access to accurate information and appropriate health care is probably most important for prevention of STDs. Teach them that abstinence from sexual contact is the surest way to prevent an STD. Short of that, they need to use a condom correctly and consistently every time they have sex. And they need to choose their sexual partners wisely -- limit the number of people they have sex with and only have sex with people who are at low risk for STDs.

As kids gets older, let them have private time with their healthcare provider. Some kids don't want to share information with their parents about their sexual behavior. Recognize their need to separate from parents and give them space to develop a relationship with their healthcare provider so that they can receive appropriate care around STD evaluation, treatment, and prevention.