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Sexually transmitted infections on the rise in teens in Franklin County

The Ohio Department of Health tracks sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.Franklin County leads the state in the number of gonorrhea and syphilis cases and is second for chlamydia.

The Ohio Department of Health tracks sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

Franklin County leads the state in the number of gonorrhea and syphilis cases and is second for chlamydia.

"We're seeing the most common age group is between 15 and 24," says Dr. Mysheika Roberts with Columbus Public Health.

That begs the question, why are sexually transmitted infection cases on the rise?

"We've seen that sex education in schools curriculums have declined, not as many school age kids are getting that health education in the classroom," says Dr. Roberts.

Ohio is the only state in the country without health education standards.

The only rule is that content must be age-appropriate and abstinence-based.

Parents can opt their kids out, but handling that important education can be tricky.

"We're seeing teenagers that are even 17, 18, that have no idea how they may have gotten this, where it is in their body, how any of that works. It's a big problem," says Dr. Sara Bode at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Mom of two, Amanda Lowe agrees that kids need to know more.

"Parents are reluctant to have that conversation so they assume the school is doing it. And maybe the school is assuming the parents are doing it. Apparently nobody's doing it. The kids aren't learning about it and they need to be," says Lowe.

Her daughter Riley is now in the seventh grade. Her only sex ed class happened at school 2 years ago.

"They separated boys and girls, and then I don't know what they talked to the boys. To the girls they talked about changes your body will go through, puberty and how to make a baby and the science behind it," says Riley.

What Riley says they did not learn about is sexually transmitted infections.
So her parents took matters into their own hands.

"Here's how these things happen and there are a lot of diseases that may not be symptomatic you need to know these things are out there. They didn't even know about using a condom. And it's not just preventing a baby but preventing diseases," explains Lowe about the talk she and her husband had with their kids.

It can be a difficult conversation but experts say it needs to happen.

"Many of these kids what we see, is that they will maybe deny, even to us, and their parents, they've ever engaged in that activity. and yet when we screen them, for these STI's, we're finding positive rates," says Dr. Bode.

Health officials say the C-D-C website or getting books from your local library is a good place to start to get useful tools.

Health information this mom is glad her kids now know.

"You have to make sure you get the education in place and vaccines before they hit that stage because there are no take backs," Lowe says.

Because whether we like it or not, children do grow up fast and they do listen.

"I think it's a little awkward but I think it's important you need to know about it. I learned more about everything from my parents than that class," says Riley.

A new bill is making its way through the Ohio Senate. It would require schools to adopt health education standards across the board.

It would require instruction on the dangers of venereal diseases with the overarching message of abstinence.

For more information click here.

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