A disturbing national study released this week has found that one in four girls and young women is infected with at least one of four common sexually transmitted diseases.
The statistics are even more staggering for African American teenagers ages 14 to 19 - nearly half had a sexually transmitted disease, compared with 20 percent for white teenagers.
The numbers are another indication that the White House's insistence on reserving millions of sex-education dollars for abstinence-only programs isn't working.
Certainly, abstinence is the best way to avoid STDs, but many teenagers are making the decision to have sex, and they need to know there are other ways to reduce the danger of disease or pregnancy.
One researcher called the new study, presented at a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conference in Chicago, "alarming" and evidence that the infections are a major public health threat.
The diseases monitored in the study were human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, a common parasite. The first national study of these diseases found that 15 percent of the infected girls had more than one STD.
The findings clearly show that America can no longer afford the Bush administration's $1 billion abstinence program. Too much is at stake.
Teenagers do need to hear that the best way to prevent an STD is by abstaining or being in a monogamous relationship with a disease-free partner.
At the same time, though, parents and schools must do more to educate young people about options such as condoms.
Girls also should be encouraged to get regular medical screenings because too many are often unaware that they are infected. STDs can cause more serious problems, such as infertility and cervical cancer.
The CDC estimates that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur in the United States each year, costing the health-care system $15.3 billion annually. Researchers estimate that 3.2 million teenage girls are among those infected with an STD.
In the absence of parental involvement, schools must necessarily take the lead in turning around this trend. For example, the Philadelphia School District has a comprehensive sex-education curriculum that includes teaching students about at-risk behaviors and STDs.
The Philadelphia Health Department also offers students confidential testing and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea. During the 2005-2006 school year, 15,919 students were screened, and 764 had at least one STD, according to Nancy Erskine, the district's director of school health services.
Too many teenage girls are suffering from the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated STDs. Urging abstinence is good, but other education must be provided.