Forty-Eight Percent of Black Female Teens have an STD

​Forty-Eight Percent of Black Female Teens have an STD By Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu The above figure is not a new statistic. My concern is that it has become the norm and is now quite acceptable. One fourth of White female teens have an STD. Though also disappointing, that figure would be a little more acceptable. Is the ​Black community​ in denial? Do we feel it’s okay if almost half of our female teens have an STD? When I speak nationwide to youth, many of them tell me they are virgins. I then ask how can you be a virgin with an STD? They then tell me it was oral or anal sex which they feel did not violate their virginity. Were you aware that the leading cause of death in the ​Black community​ is abortion? Each day, 1,786 ​Black children​ are aborted. Can you imagine 52% of Black pregnancies are aborted? Again, this is not a new statistic; my concern, like with STDs, is that it has become acceptable. So the question that I would like to pose is, do you find 52% of all pregnancies aborted acceptable? And has abortion become the new form of birth control? African Americans are 13% of the U.S. population - male and female. I would expect ​Black females​ to be 13% of females in America who are HIV positive. The reality is that Black females are 64% of the women in America who are HIV positive. Again this is not a new statistic. Are you okay and accepting of the fact that 64% of all women in America who are HIV positive just happen to be Black? Has this become the norm? Is that our reality? Are Black people​ in denial? Have all the statistics made us numb? How can we reduce these statistics? While writing ​Raising Black Girls​, I discovered that Black girls start puberty before anyone other race. They start at 8 years and 8 months, while White girls start at 9.7 years. ​Black girls​ also start their menstrual earlier than anyone else, at 12.06 years. White girls start their menstrual cycle at 12.88 years. In writing the book, I wanted to understand why. And I discovered that there is a relationship between puberty, menstruation and sexual activity. In addition, I also found that there is a relationship between puberty, diet, exercise, body mass index and being breastfed. I want to close with a positive statistic seldom if ever is mentioned. There are thousands of Black girls who wear chastity rings and have taken the oath of abstinence until marriage. We want to take a moment to salute and applaud you! You make us proud! Excerpted from ​Raising Black Girls