Robyn Davis

About the author: Robyn Davis is the director of the Community Outreach and Education Division of the Los Angeles County Sexually Transmitted Disease Program.

Teens have the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases of any age group. One reason teens are particularly susceptible to STDs is that many do not use a condom during sex. Teens are also frequently ignorant of the facts about sexually transmitted diseases and do not know how to prevent infection or where to go for treatment if they become infected.

Teens are deluged with images about sex. On TV alone, it is estimated that the average teen sees 14,000 sexual messages each year, less than 1% of which deal with sexual responsibility or consequences, according to a definitive study by Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately, thousands of...