Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to pose a serious threat to the health of our teenagers.  On March 12, 2008, major newspapers across the country headlined a study done by the Center for Disease Control  citing the latest statistics concerning STDs among teenagers.  According to this study, one out of  every four adolescent girl carries a sexually transmitted disease.  One out of every two black teen girls is infected.  Among the girls admitting they were sexually active, forty percent carried an STD.     

          With statistics like these, youcan see the urgent need for parents to get involved in the sex education of their children.  Most likely,all these infected teenagers were given basic information about STDs in junior or senior high school sex education  programs.  However, the involvement of parents is needed to reinforce what the schools are attempting to teach about sexually transmitted diseases and to provide a moral framework within which young people can wisely choose to be abstinent. 

Where are parents going to get the information they need to become the primary sex educators of their children? This should definitely come from their church.  In every adult Christian education program there should be an elective class designed to enabble parents to become the primary sex educators of their children.  The class should be taught by a medically qualified, deeply committed Christian.  After all,  good sex education is about the the sacredness of life and the sexual stewardship of our bodies.  Where else can parents learn how to assum this responsibility if not through their church?

          I feel so deeply about this need that in 2006, I published a book called Teaching Your Children the Truth about Sex.  It is available from my website: www.drdobbins.com.  I produced a DVD that includes a fice to six minute introduction for  each of the book’s 20 chapters.  These introductions are designed to kick-start each lesson.   The program is called: Parents First: Enabling Parens to Be the Primary Sex Educators of Their Children.  The program kit contains the book, the DVD, an Intructor’s Guide and two Parent Notebooks.  If you are interested in learning more about this, contact me at rddobbins@gmail.com., or visit our website at: www.drdobbins.com.