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<p>Let’s face it, thinking about sexually transmitted infections (STI) is something most people like to avoid. But the reality is that each year approximately 19 million new cases occur in the United States. At least one-in-four teenage girls has an STI. By age 25, approximately half of all sexually active young people will get one.</p>
<p>The California Department of Public Health reports that San Diego County has a higher rate of Chlamydia and Syphilis than the state average.</p>
Planned Parenthood
Perspective:
By Jessica González-Rojas
New America Media
When I was 16, a health educator came to my high-school gym class, corralled the girls in the locker room and talked about breast health.
Congratulations to Chrissy Cmorik, a recipient of the Molina Health Care Community Champion Award.
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<p> Someone I know is struggling to talk with her 12-year-old son about sex. </p>
<p> Someone I know has a hard time using the word “penis” with his 5- and 7-year-old sons.</p>
<p> And someone I know panicked and stuttered when her 6-year-old daughter asked how babies get inside a woman’s tummy. </p>
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<p> In California, the teen pregnancy rate has declined, but it is still four-to-twelve times higher than France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. The United States teen birth rate is eight times higher than other industrialized countries. </p>