"Forty years ago," Mr. Mahoney told us, "AIDS was not the problem it is today. Today, HIV/AIDS is on the minds of every single person whether they are sexually active or not." The funny thing is, people only started talking about the dangers of AIDS in just the past few years. New statistics are so alarming, that out of concern for a generation that could be infected, AIDS and sex education is taught as early as the 4th grade in many schools across the country. Mr. Mahoney told us that if someone has HIV (Human Immune Virus), they may not necessarily get AIDS - it will depend upon their immune system and the number of antibodies they have to fight the virus.

Research also shows that 4.9 million teenagers are sexually active and in need of education on practicing safe sex. Fifty one percent of females from the ages of 15-19 years of age are sexually active, and fifty six percent of males between the ages of 15-19 are sexually active.

What is even more concerning is the number of teens who, concerned about pregnancy, believe that practicing other kinds of sexual activity are risk free. In fact, sexually transmitted diseases are just as easy to get from these other types of sexual activity as from intercourse. Dr. Schneider said, "People forget that teens are having a variety of sexual activity, ranging from kissing to having intercourse. These issues have to be talked about because they carry very dangerous risks."

Dr. Schneider gave TEENSPEAK some advice that might be helpful for girls concerned about guys who hit on them to make a score - sometimes these guys are upper classmen who try to get their way with younger girls because they think that younger girls will do anything for them just because they are upper classmen. Dr. Schneider told us about a group of girls who call themselves "angels." They look out for other girls, safe guarding them, making sure that they are safe. They protect their girl-friends from making wrong decisions, for example, they look out for girls who get too drunk, and put themselves in a position where they are more liable to get into trouble. A plan as simple as this one can save so many girls from giving themselves away.

Both Dr. Schneider and Mr. Mahoney agreed that teenagers need someone they can talk to about sex. That person can be a parent or even a pediatrician who is required to keep any discussion confidential, even from the parents, unless it's a life-threatening situation. They both stressed how important it is to communicate possible concerns about having/ or getting a sexually transmitted disease. Diseases like Chlamydia (which for girls has no specific symptoms) can leave you sterile if it goes untreated. Dr. Schneider