Teens: The Pressures

Alcohol & Drugs
Visit these resources for real-life facts about drugs and alcohol.

Is your partying getting out of control? Check Yourself

Real Stories at http://www.drugfree.org/Teen/

Marijuana facts at http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marijteens.html

Smoking
63% of high school smokers say they want to quit. Get more real facts by logging on to www.thetruth.com

Ready to Quit…visit GA’s QUIT Line at 1-877-270-STOP

Want to help a family member stop, visit http://www.champss.com/

Sex

Knowing the truth about sexual health could save your life. Go to talkingwithteens.com to watch a video and hear advice from other teens about where to go for the right information.

The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics recently published an article on this subject called "Beyond the 'Big Talk': The Roles of Breadth and Repetition in Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sexual Topics." Click here to read the article.

Did you know…
2/3 of the 15 million new STD infections in the US each year occur in people under age 25.

Fewer thank half of adults ages 18-44 have ever been tested for an STD other than HIV

Each year almost 4 million teens get an STD

A woman is twice as likely as a man to acquire an STD during unprotected sex

STD 101

Chlamydia
Genital Warts & HPV
Gonorrhea
Hepatitis B
Herpes
Syphilis

For HIV/AIDS visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faqs.htm

Contraceptive Fact Sheet
Learn about the different contraceptives, how to use them, and their effectiveness.
Abstinence
Birth Control Pills
Diaphragm
Male Condom
The Patch
Spermicides
The Sponge


Violence
“Being on either end of a violent situation, whether you seem to have come out with the upper hand or whether you don’t seem to, it doesn’t resolve anything. It escalates the problem. Hatred leads to more hatred. Violence leads to more violence.”
-Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys

Know the warning signs of violence and ways to deal with anger.
Visit http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=38 for more information.

Stress:
Stressed out? Try these tips to get back on track:
·maintaining a regular sleep schedule
·taking breaks during stressful activities
·saying “no” more often to obligations
·avoiding making major changes in one’s life during high stress periods
·eating a healthy diet low in sugar and high in fiber
·regular exercise at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes
·taking time off from work and school activities

For more advice visit http://www.thehealthcenter.info/teen-stress/

Peer Pressure
Advice from real area teens on dealing with It!! Go to kidshealth.org.

WWW Address: http://www.gachd.org/teens/the_pressures_1.php