Customer Reviews

Epidemic: How Teen Sex Is Killing Our Kids

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(6)

 

 

Reading the reviews was interesting to say the least. Whether you are a parent or a teen, right or left you cannot fight against the facts. And what are the facts? As a health teacher for the last 24 years in a public high school in New York I can safely say that the information Mrs Meeker gives is in fact irrefutable. She is correct when she tells the reader that there is no such thing as "safe sex" unless it is with an uninfected partner and you remain monogamous for life "historically we called that relationship marriage". She is also correct when she tells us that condoms are next to worthless when it comes to STD's like HPV the number one STD in America that kill thousands of women every year in America not counting the thousands of early hysterectomys. It seems that the negative reviews come from people who do not want to be confused with the facts but simply want to call Mrs Meeker "names". Hurray for a refreshingly honest look at a difficult subject. She tells the reader how it is.

Epidemic may not be too strong of a word to describe the crisis in teen sexuality we face in the Western world. Although this volume describes the American scene, it would be true of most other Western nations as well. Young people have been sold a bill of goods regarding sexuality, and they are paying the penalty, big time.

Consider some of the statistics: In the US in 2002 up to one quarter of sexually active teens were living with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Each year over 15 million Americans will contract a new STD. Around a fifth of these will be teenagers. Indeed, while teens make up just 10 percent of the population, they account for 25 per cent of all STDs.

The truth is, the sexual revolution of the 60s has unleashed an untamed monster. When I was growing up one seldom heard of venereal diseases, as they were then called. And there were really only two: syphilis and gonorrhoea. And they tended to be something people other than sailors and prostitutes never worried about. Today there are at least 50 STDs. And with multiple strains of mutating viruses, that actual number may be as high as 100.

Thus a whole new batch of STDs have emerged in line with the no-holds-barred sexual revolution. Chlamydia for example was not even identified until 1976. Thus we have a whole new vocabulary as part of our dictionaries, with disease like genital herpes, HPV, HIV, and a range of new viral infections.

And the problem is many of these diseases are at present incurable (like HIV) and many are asymptomatic (that is one often does not even know one has the infection). And many are quite infectious, easily spread, and hard to control. Herpes for example lives on the skin and is easily passed on.

While antibiotics can stop bacterial STDs (like chlamydia) they cannot stop viruses. And even the bacteria are hard to control, with many mutating into more devious germs, becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Doctor Meegan does not just warn against the physical dangers of casual sex. She also speaks to the emotional, psychological and social harms. The safe sex myth (just use a condom, etc) is not only physically harmful, as most contraceptives are far from foolproof, but the risks of a broken promise, a broken relationship, and a broken heart cannot be protected by the condom culture.

Dr Meeker reminds us that teens are especially vulnerable to negative emotional and psychological side effects due to early sexual activity. And that translates into an epidemic of teen depression and suicide. And the problem compounds itself. Depressed kids in turn are more likely to turn to sex, as many turn to drugs, to deal with their grief.

Losing one's virginity at an early age often leads to a loss in self respect and self worth. A loss of trust and expectation also is part of the downside. The innocence of childhood is ripped away and replaced with a premature burden of adulthood.

The truth is, the condom culture and the explosion in comprehensive sex education have not helped matters, but made them worse. We have never before had so much sex ed, and we have never before had so much teen sexuality, abortion and STDs. There seems to be a clear correlation between the two.

And a major missing ingredient in most sex ed courses is what teens really need to hear: how to say no to sexual pressure. Abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in marriage is the only guaranteed safe sex. Yet this message is seldom being taught to our young people. It certainly is not the message of popular culture.

Critics will simply shrug off this volume and accuse the author of scare mongering. But try telling that to a young person who is now permanently affected by an STD. Try telling that to a young girl whose future is in doubt because sexual experimentation has lead to an unwanted pregnancy. Try telling that to those who have become infertile due to promiscuous sexual activity.

The consequences of the sexual revolution are very real indeed. It is time we had some straight talk on the many dangers of, and downsides to, teenage sex. The good news is we are not animals and we can control our desires. But when all around us are telling our young people that they should just go for it, the message of sexual responsibility is easily drowned out. Thus the importance of this book.

Dr. Meeker has written a very informative yet alarming book on the realities of teens having sex even with multiple partners. She uses real life stories to exemplify her primary point that teens who choose to have sex and most likely with multiple partners will contract at least one STD. Dr. Meeker titles her book "Epidemic..." because teens all across the United States are contracting STD's at an alarming rate. Dr. Meeker states, "An epidemic occurs when...there is an extensive and growing prevalence of a disease that attacks many people simultaneously." Dr. Meeker's book is chalked full of current statistics and well documented endnotes that gives reliable and necessary support of her claim that there is an epidemic among teens.

Furthermore, this book is not solely about STDs but about the greater issue of sexual freedom. Dr. Meeker claims, and I agree with, that the primary problem among our teens is that they are taught that it is reasonable to pursue sex in any and all forms which include intercourse, oral, anal, and mutual masturbation. And the means by which teens are 'taught' about sex and its acceptance especially at such an early age, is through the media, advertisements of all sorts, music lyrics and videos, movies, television sitcoms, as well as the 'modeled' behavior of ones parents or guardians. Since morality and personal ethics regarding the value of sex have dropped to a level of cheapness in our country, it is little wonder why teens experiment and engage in various sexual acts, and in turn contract STDs.

This book is written from a conservative perspective in which sexual freedom among teens should not endorsed but inappropriate for them to embrace. Teens should not be given freedom by their parent(s) and society to choose to have sex with whoever, wherever, and in any form as one desires. Teens are treated as if they are mature adults who can and will make wise decisions. The truth of the matter is that teens are not adults and are not mature enough to make decisions that have their best interests in mind, especially long term interests. The proof is in the documented evidence. Not only are teens contracting STDs, they are also filled with emotional, psychological, and religious grief.

Dr. Meeker shares beneficial ways by which parents can assist their teens to make wise decisions for a positive sexual future, primarily to having sex with a single partner, hopefully a new spouse. For it is caring and educated parents that can have the greatest influence.

The overall goal of this book is not just to inform parents about STD's through graphic stories and alarming statistics, but to empower parents to dare to care for their teens lives. As Dr. Meeker's experience and research shows, there is an epidemic among our teens. Unless parents take an active interest in their teens' lives, their teens' future and their children's future will be very bleak.

As a teacher who works with both junior and senior high aged kids, I have longed for a book that tells the hard truth about teenaged sex. Finally, I have found it. This isn't just a book for parents, this is a book that kids should at least be exposed to. They deserve the truth that we have failed to give them. For too long we believed we were protecting them by giving them birth control and they believed us (as an establishment). Now we are just beginning to glimpse the true scope of the problem that will face us over the next 5-20 years and beyond if this situation isn't addressed and reversed. I encourage parents and teachers who want facts that will stand up and speak for themselves without being preachy - get this book. Read it. Pass it on to your friends, talk about it with your kids and your students, carry it with you on the subway.
Are the numbers harsh, do the stories turn your stomach? Yes, this book is not a 'fun' read. And good for Meg Meeker.

This is a well-researched, well-written, and very important book that should be read by every parent, especially those who don't think that their kids are having sex...Read this book and try to protect your kids. Indeed, read it and protect yourself...Dr. Meeker has provided a great public service by writing this book and warning America's parents.

I really enjoyed this book. This book does contain some of Meeker's opinion but it also contains many footnotes from studies and what not. It is well documented and the footnotes I have followed back to the source are correct. As some of the other reviewer noted the numbers are staggering sober. I hope people can realize that sex is killing our kids and nation.

I'm a nurse with five children, three of them teens. I stay informed. I am involved in many teens lives. I thought I knew what was going on, until I read this book and heard Dr. Meeker speak. I was shocked.

Dr. Meeker is blunt without being rude. She is angry that no one seems to be talking about the epidemic of STDs in our teenagers. She is angry that even though we now KNOW differently, the lie of "safe sex" is still perpetuated--it is even taught by government sponsored sex education programs. NO ONE seems to be telling our children what they need to know. So, Dr. Meeker is trying to do so, and we should all be listening.

Even those who chose to practice abstinense will be affected by the current epidemic, because it is so wide-spread that even one encounter is likely to infect a teen with incurable diseases that might then infect a future spouse.

This book is a MUST read for anyone who cares about teenagers.

This book is outstanding. Those who are putting up negative reviews are doing so only because they are part of the establishment that wants to keep the physical and emotional consequences of teen sex under wraps.

The ultra-leftists have taken over the politics of sex and forced it on American youth. Traditionally in America sex outside of wedlock was considered a moral wrong. This view was not reactionary or a product of the "New-Right." It was firmly established as the foundation of American life from well before the founding.

As recent as the 40s and 50s American's did not have the view that sex outside of wedlock was okay.

I have a copy of a 1944 War Department Pamphlet called Army Life, it was given to all American Soldiers serving in the Armed Forces at that time. There is a portion of the book about Sex as a moral matter. It says...

"Many people like to seem "Smart" or sophisticated when they talk about sex. You may sometimes listen to them, even let them influence you--but you know the truth: sexual intercourse without marriage is everywhere condemned as WRONG. No arguing around the point alters this, or the fact that you know it. You want to be able to like and respect yourself. If you persist in doing things which you know are wrong, YOU pay the consequences."

How far have we fallen in 50 years?

The sexual revolution took hold in the 1960's. The cowardly hippies who were too scared to serve their country became a political movement. The problem was the majority of America did not agree with their views as evidenced by the 1972 Landslide Election of Richard Nixon.

The Radicals realized that they could not change America over night, so they infiltrated the institutions that most affect American Culture; The arts, The Media, and the Education system.

Once entrenched in the educational establishment, they hippies began to indoctrinate American youth with their ideology of sexual promiscuity.

Their ultimate targets are marriage and family life, because they understand that if they can destroy marriage, they can destroy western culture.

Longtime National Gay and Lesbian Task Force policy director Paula Ettelbrick stated that she wants to: "radically reorder society's view of the family."

In 1996, in the Michigan Law Review, David Chambers, a professor of law at the University of Michigan states: "By ceasing to conceive of marriage as a partnership composed of one person of each sex, the state may become more receptive to units of three or more."

These radicals don't just want teens having sex, they want all sexual scenarios legal and embraced by America. Beastality, Polygamy, Polyamory, Incest, Sex between Children and Adults, these are the goals of those who are behind the sexual revolution, their ultimate goal being the destruction of America.

Meg Meeker addressed both the emotional and physical consequences of teen sex in this book, consequences that those on the left don't want Americans to hear.

The Barbarians are inside the gates folks, and I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that his justice cannot sleep forever.

Many people know that sex affects our lives in SOME way and that there are consequnces. What I believe we don't know is the extensiveness of that consequence. Meeker provides astonishing facts and personal stories to make people understand how teen sex is affecting our children. She says time and time again that it is the duty of parents and educators to know the REAL facts about teen sex and STD's in order to pass this information on to our children. Once I started the book, I could not put it down. I learned so many new things about teen sex and STD's. I feel everyone should read this book in order to receive a reality check about sex and the consequnces it has.

1999 I started talking about self control with sex and money . . .the CONSTANT written response from my audiences were they wanted to know more about STDs and more about the differences between love and lust. Money not as important as these two - `tell us more' responses I still get. Tragically are so many girsl who wish they'd heard me sooner.

Answering the desire to know more about love and lust I wrote a small book `Beloved, Be Love.' Researching for the girls at Vista Maria ([...]) began my Beloved series. Vista Maria is the largest non profit in Michigan dealing with teenage girls- and 99% of them as be sexually molested - some as young as in their preschool lives.

In my `learn about more on STDs' - this is one of the books IMMENSELY valuable in that arena. There is more data and the whole massive illicit sex STDS life today reality. It makes me sick - do you have any clue of what is going on today sexually with our kids?? The gang sex activities?

In my own real life - my ex-husband exposed me to an easily curable STD in 1981 . . . thank God it was not viral - he got it from the woman he was sleeping with - she got it from her husband - and God only knows who all her husband was screwing around with. My ex at least paid the med bills dealing with this and in this instance he was honest . . .

I take what I experience with more validity than paper information (texts, books, statistics etc.) Working in ballet I experienced another dancer with herpes. She lived in terror her only son might be affected - this was in the 1970s . . . my OBGYN a major part of his practice is herpes. An ophthalmologist told me recently he's had two cases of Chlamydia - in the eyes - initially he thought they were conjunctivitis - but did not respond to treatment. Lab work clarified an STD in their eyes . . . that is recent . . . STDs in the eyes is an increase in oral sex where teenage girls believe Clinton/Lewinski - oral sex isn't sex. These are simple the doctors at hand in my modest life - not thousands of them.

This book is a great easy to read view of today- Meeker is a pediatrician. Seeing babies she delivered grow into adolescents - become so infected their lives are at risk - infections neglected - their bodies harmed for life (sterility). The fact today infertility is rampant too - those people trashing this book might be living in the trash cans of denial. This book shines light on a very dark part of life today- even reality TV recently has started a sex addicts show and gee there is an audience (can you imagine that?) Wonder how many STDs those characters have managed. I call STDs "raunchy crotch realties." In universities itching and burning between the legs is epidemic- as anyone close to the pulse on campuses is aware of.

College age people suicide is #2 cause of death- could a viral STD heap up more suicides?

Keeping my pants on six years as a divorcee- the third thing these girls at Vista Maria were thrilled about is what I call `secondary virginity' - something personally experienced before my second marriage of twenty one years to date now. Keeping my pants - detoxing illicit sex from who I am through celibacy is a part of the success in my current marriage and happy sex life. Trust is one of the benefits coming with sexual self control.

Sex even in a crappy marriage is better than sex outside of marriage in my own personal experience. Glad I was not slow learning in the arena of STDs decades ago, long before this very intense book.

This book will curl your hair, turn up the volume on an impolite to talk about reality and help tighten chastity belts - out of real fear - for those who still care about their health, their bodies, and their lives. Some don't care.

I have shared this book with many others who have been glad they read it too.