Dr. Linda Helps - A fact sheet by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and National Institutes of Health reports that the Human Papilloma Virus infects 24 million Americans. More than 60 types of HPV have been identified, both high and low risk. Sexual contact causes the spread of approximately one-third of the types of HPV. The National Cancer Institute lists HPV as its major cause of cervical cancer. Teens who are sexually active and have multiple sex partners are at high risk.

Sarah sat crying in my office. She was scared because her pap smear came back abnormal. She never heard of Human Papilloma Virus) or cervical cancer. Yet, her pediatrician told her she had the HPV infection.

“I was sexually active a couple of times, but my boyfriend used a condom. I thought condoms stopped you from getting this stuff. I don’t feel sick or have any symptoms, so I didn’t know anything was wrong. My pediatrician said that having sex with one infected partner put me at risk for cervical cancer. He also said condoms don’t protect me from HPV. We had safe-sex education in school, and no one ever told me I could get HPV using a condom.”

Abstinence is obviously the best way to avoid infections like HPV and sexually transmitted diseases. However, teens buying into the safe-sex doctrine had better think twice. The dangers of HPV have been greatly downplayed among a number of sex educators.

According to pediatrician Margaret Meeker in her book “Restoring the Teenage Soul,” HPV infections can be more aggressive in teens, cause silent damage to internal organs and show up as genital warts on young men and women.

A fact sheet by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and National Institutes of Health reports the virus infects 24 million Americans. More than 60 types of HPV have been identified, both high and low risk. Sexual contact causes the spread of approximately one-third of the types of HPV. The National Cancer Institute lists HPV as its major cause of cervical cancer. Teens who are sexually active and have multiple sex partners are at high risk.

The message here is that even though prominent groups tell you that sex with a condom is safe, it absolutely isn’t. Not only are there negative emotional and spiritual consequences associated with teen sex, but also the physical risks are incredible and, at times, life threatening.

The best thing is abstinence. It is biblical, and prevents you from taking health and mental-health risks. Condom use does not mean safe sex as so many would lead you to believe. Understand that God’s directive against premarital sex was not meant to deny your sexuality but to preserve it for the best of all circumstances  - the covenant of marriage.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

For more articles and information, visit Dr. Linda Mintle's Web site.