Why do you call abstinence the best choice?
Abstinence is THE ONLY 100% SURE WAY to avoid a sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy, and a broken heart.

Is abstinence even possible?
More than 50% of high school students have not had sex. And recent studies show this number is increasing. Of teens who are sexually experienced-have had intercourse at least one time-approximately 25 percent are currently abstinent (which means they've had no sexual involvement within the prior three months). 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1998). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance-United States, 1997. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , 47(SS-3).

What happens when teens blow it? Can they recover their virginity? 
Yes. It's called "secondary virginity." It's possible for teens who have been sexually active to stop being sexually active and wait until marriage to have sex again. Secondary virginity is becoming more and more common among teens and young adults.

Will condoms protect teens from getting an STD?
Not all the time. Depending on where you get your information, condoms have a failure rate of 15%-25%. This means that condoms will fail one out of every five times you use them!

How many teens become pregnant each year? 
About 840,000 teens become pregnant each year. One-third of these end in abortion. Over 3 out of 4 teen births are out-of-wedlock. The good news is that the numbers have been decreasing!
 
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National and State-Specific Pregnancy Rates Among Adolescents -- United States, 1995-1997.

How bad is the sexually transmitted disease epidemic, really? 
STDs accounted for 87% of all cases among the top ten most frequently reported infections in the U.S. during 1997. Five of the top 10 reportable infectious disease in 1997 were either exclusively or largely transmitted during sex, including the top four (chlamydia, gonorrhea, AIDS and syphilis).  The numbers are rising.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of Notifiable Disease, United States 1998.

What age group is at greatest risk for acquiring an STD?  
Teens and young adults (15-24) are the age groups at the greatest risk for acquiring an STD. Approximately two-thirds of all people who acquire STDs are under 25. The Centers for Disease Control states that adolescents and young adults are at greater risk for many reasons, including:
- They may have less immunity than adults 
- They may be more likely to have multiple sex partners 
- They may be more likely to engage in unprotected intercourse 
- They may select partners at higher risk

Sources: Division of STD Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 1999 and
Eng TR, Butler WT, eds. The Hidden Epidemic - Confronting Sexually Transmitted Disease . The Institute of Medicine.  Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.

When should a teen have her first gynecologist visit?
A teenage girl should visit a gynecologist between ages 13 and 15, according to the current recommendation by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This initial visit doesn’t necessarily have to include a pelvic exam and Pap smear. A girl should have a Pap smear either at age 21 or three years after the start of sexual activity.

Source: Dr. Judith Reichman, "Today" show contributor, Nov. 23, 2004