Protect Your Heart :: Elevate 2 Wait

Fast Facts:

Pay Attention, Increase Your Knowledge, and Really Get the Truth!

Interesting thought…
Sex was Never Meant to Kill You!!

Did You Know…???

--An estimated half of all new HIV infections occur in people under age 25 1
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2002). Fact Sheet: Young People at Risk-HIV/AIDS Among America’s Youth. Retrieved January 12, 2006, from http://www.cdc.gov/stats00/TOC2000.htm)

--Adolescents (10 to 19 year olds) are at a higher risk for acquiring STDs; because of their developing bodies they have an increased susceptibility to infection.2
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2002). Fact Sheet: Young People at Risk-HIV/AIDS Among America’s Youth. Retrieved January 12, 2006, from http://www.cdc.gov/stats00/TOC2000.htm)

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is responsible for more than 90% of all cases of cervical cancer. 3
(“Sex, Condoms, and STDs: What We Now Know” The Medical Institute, 2002)

Think it’s all just physical...Read On:

--The earlier a teenage girl begins sexual activity the more likely she is to:4.5
Suffer from increased rates of infection with sexually transmitted disease

Have increased rates of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and birth and increased rates of single parenthood
Have increased abortions
Experience increased depression; and
Have decreased happiness as an adult.

(Rector, Robert E. & Johnson, Kirk A., & Noyes, Lauren, et al. (June 26, 2003). The Harmful Effects of Early Sexual Activity and Multiple Sexual Partners Among Women: A Book of Charts, Retrieved January 12, 2006, from http://www.heritage.org/research/family/abstinence_charts.cfm) and (National Survey of Family Growth. (1995) Center for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved January 12, 2006 from http://cdc.gov./mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5302.pdf)

--One out of every three females in the U.S. gets pregnant at least once before the age of 20.6
(Albert, B. Brown, S., & Flanigan, C. (Eds.). (2003). 14 and Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents (Summary), Washington, DC; National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy)

--Three out of ten of these pregnancies ends in abortion.7
(Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2000. (May 2003) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(2).

--Sex, Drugs, and the whole crazy game:8

Sexually active teens are six times more likely to drink regularly than virgins.
Sexually active teens are more than five times more likely to smoke regularly than virgins.
Sexually active teens are more than four times more likely to try marijuana than virgins.

(Albert, B. Brown, S., & Flanigan, C. (Eds.). (2003). 14 and Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents (Summary), Washington, DC; National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy)

--Sexually active adolescents are at a substantially greater risk for depression and suicide.9
(Adolescent depression and suicide risk; association with sex and drug behavior. (2004). American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27. 224-230.)