While recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that teen pregnancy rates have dropped (down 10% from 2012), the teen pregnancy rate is still substantially higher than in other industrialized nations. Protected sex does not seem to be a universal practice in the United States. Indeed, the CDC also reported that of the teens who'd had sex in the past three months, about 4 in 10 stated they didn't use a condom. Furthermore, despite the fact that nearly half of the 20 million new STDs contracted each year are by young people ages 15-24, only 1 in 5 sexually experienced teens have ever been tested for HIV. 

There is a dire need for schools to be more proactive in sex education, yet only 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education--and only 18 require that information on contraception be provided--yikes! How can we fix this information gap and catch up to other industrialized nations who have achieved greater success in reducing teen pregnancy and STD rates? The answer lies in demystifying the 'taboo' surrounding sex education and sexual health. Dr. Teresa Woodruff created a free online course to do just that. Introduction to Reproduction is now available for free, online, to all who wish to learn more about sexual and reproductive health--from a reliable source! Check out the course today and let's start to have more educated conversations about sexual and reproductive health!

Source: The Chicago Sun-Times