Give Your Teens the Gift of Health this Holiday Season

Did you know that 1 in every 4 sexually active teens gets a sexual disease (STD)?  It’s true.  And half of all new HIV infections are in young people under 25.  This holiday season, make sure your teen doesn’t get any unwanted “gifts!”

Let your teen know you care.  Take time during the holidays to talk to them about how they can protect themselves.  Tell them:
 Don’t have sex.  This is the only way to be 100% certain that you won’t get a sexual disease.
 Only have sex with one person.  If you only have sex with one person who only has sex with you, you both lower your risk.
 Use condoms every time you have sex.  Latex condoms help prevent the spread of STDs.
 Get tested regularly.  Many STDs have no symptoms that you’d notice.  If you are having sex, ask about getting tested once a year.

For more information on HIV and other STDs, visit TeenSource with your teen by clicking here or call the CDC National Hotline at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).