Fill Gaps in Paps with More Sex Conversation
In November, we learned that delaying the age of a young woman's first Pap test could actually help lower her health risks, as adolescent cells could be mistaken for early signs of cancer, according to new recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. That's all good, but if teen girls don't visit their doctor they might be missing out on sex-ed that they're not getting anywhere else. Black teens have a higher rate of sexual activity and more STIs than White teens, but have less access to comprehensive sexual education than White teens. We're left with a few questions: if she doesn't know what's happening below the belt, will she be more or less likely to protect herself from STIs? If they're not going to the doctor, where will they get their information from? Shouldn't they be getting it from us?