Research has found that Black teenagers in low-income neighborhoods have rates of sexually transmitted diseases that are up to 10 times higher than the rate for White teens.
But a study conducted by researchers at Oregon State University has found that educational and informational programs directed at Black youths can have a significant impact in preventing STDs. The study, published in the journal Research in Human Development, examined where youth got their information on STDs and how the information they received affected their behavior.
The study found that Black teens actually paid attention to information offered by parents, teachers, and other adults on STDs. They found that teens were adept at sorting through often conflicting messages on STDs that they receive from parents, friends, the media, church groups, and medical practitioners.
Other findings included that stressing abstinence at an early age is effective and that young Black women in families that openly discussed sex were less likely than other young Black women to get STDs.
