Have you heard that over 3 million US teen girls are infected with an STD? That’s Right, almost 1 out of every 4 teen girls!

Just imagine, if there are 30 girls in your homeroom class, then this statistic would mean that at least 7 of your classmates could possibly have an STD right now!

No kidding, a recent government study reports that HPV (human papillomavirus) the virus that can cause cervical cancer and infertility is the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls age 14 to 19.

Even more frightening, the study found that 48% of the African American teens and 20% of the White and Latino girls studied were infected.

And before you start getting all self-righteous… it wasn’t just the “loose” girls either. How do we know? Because the study showed that 1 in 5 young ladies who had an STD say that they’ve only had one sexual partner in their whole life!

Yes it can happen to you….even if you’ve only been with one guy….and even if its your very 1st time!

The really scary part is that HPV can cause genital warts but it often has no symptoms.

That’s why the United States Center for Disease Control recommends that sexually active teens and women under the age of 26 should get vaccinated with the HPV vaccine as a method of reducing the risk of contracting HPV.

For more info on HPV or the CDC Study, click here.

Body Piercing to Die For
2 Teens, 2 Countries, 2 Piercings

When she finally went to the hospital for medical treatment, the doctors determined that she had suffered extensive organ damage because the horrible infection had taken over her body. In fact, for a whole week the doctors weren’t even sure if she would live or die. Eventually the girl recovered, but only after many weeks of medical rehabilitation.

Just a few years earlier a similar
thing happened to a European teen,
only he wasn’t so lucky. According
to a European newspaper report, the 17-year old UK Teen died from blood poisoning 2 months after having his lip pierced. The coroner concluded that he died from a serious infection caused by the body-piercing.

One of the effected teen’s parents warns teens to stop and think seriously before getting a body piercing. That’s because medical professionals advise that any piercing carries with it the risk of getting an infection or even dying.

Based on stories originally printed in USAToday & Telegraph.co.uk For more information click here.

When STI’s go untreated, then they can lead to serious health problems such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer and even death.

Some common STI’s are caused by bacteria. These include: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. Other STI’s are caused by viruses. These include: Herpes, Hepatitis B, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Human papillomavirus (HPV).

If you think you may have an STI, then you should immediately see a doctor. He or she can examine you and request the appropriate lab tests necessary to determine if you have contracted an infection. Many STI’s can be treated with antibiotics, while unfortunately others may be incurable.

For more information on STI’s, you can log onto http://www.cdc.gov

Keep Your Stats to Yourself! Avoid posting info that could help a stranger to figure out your name, where you live or where you go to school. In other words, don’t post things like your last name, your home or cell phone numbers, the name of your school, the name of your sports teams, the town you live in, or places where you hang out. If your Internet or service has a “friends” list that allows you to control who can visit your profile or blog, only accept people you know and trust. If you don’t use the privacy features of your service, anyone can see your info, including people who are up to no good!

Keep Away from Internet Strangers! Don’t agree to meet up face-2-face with someone you “met” on-line, even if you’re fairly sure of their actual identity. It’s not even safe to agree to meet them in a public place or to bring along a friend so you won’t be alone. Remember, the Internet is filled with people who lie about their true identity in order to take advantage of children and teens.

Keep Photos Rated PG! What you post on the Internet can be downloaded, forwarded, copied and re-posted online pretty much forever. Avoid posting photos with your name, sports team, or high school on them. And, posting those sexy, kinky, hoochie, studly, flexing, or otherwise suggestive pic’s are a definite no – no! So before you upload or post or e-mail a photo (or pose in front of a webcam), think about how you’d feel if your picture were going to be seen by your parents or grandparents, your pastor or youth group leader, a college admissions counselor, or a future employer, ‘cause chances are, they will!

Keep Friends in Check! If you allow people to post comments on your profile or blog, read them often to make sure their posts are appropriate. To avoid “drama,” don’t even bother responding to mean or rude comments. Instead, delete them and then, if possible, block those haters from posting any new comments!

Keep It Real! Membership rules are there for your protection. If you are not old enough to sign up on a website, then don’t lie about your age. And if you are old enough to sign up, then don’t exaggerate your age, your interests or any of your other personal stats. Just Keep It Real!

Well, truth is that those seemingly innocent couple of drinks could lead to ALCOHOL POISONING - which is a potentially deadly condition that happens when someone drinks too many alcoholic beverages (like beer, liquor, energy drinks, etc.) over a short period of time.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning:

• A person can become mentally confused or can’t be awakened.
• A person can vomit.
• A person can have seizures.
• Their breathing can slow down or be irregular.
• Their body temperature can lower, and/or their skin can become bluish or pale.

What if you think someone has Alcohol Poisoning?
Don’t wait to see if they’re going to have all of the symptoms listed above. Just 1 symptom could kill! Understand that a person who’s passed out can DIE! Don't try to figure out how drunk they are, just Call 911 for help immediately.

What happens if a person doesn’t get medical treatment?
They can choke on their own vomit.
Their breathing can slow, become irregular, or stop. Their heart can begin to beat irregularly or stop. They can get Hypothermia (low body temperature). They can have seizures. They can have permanent brain damage or DIE.

Don't be afraid to get medical help for a friend if you think that they have had too much to drink. Don't worry about your friend getting mad at you; just remember that you cared enough to get them help. Always be safe, not sorry.

Information based on PHOENIX HOUSE Website. For more info, click here.