Dear Grandparenting: My granddaughter Andrea fell in with a bunch of bad girls after my daughter and her hubby split up. Andrea moved in with me when the fighting got ugly and became my responsibility, at least for time being.
Andrea felt abandoned and hooked up with a group one might call sexually adventurous. That’s what I’m hearing on the grapevine. I’m also hearing there’s a rash of bad sexual diseases with long-term consequences that kids are picking up.
I feel like Andrea already has one strike against her since the divorce. She’s at the age where I can’t expect her to remain as pure as the driven snow, no matter what I say or do.
Kids grow up fast today, so sure they know it all. It’s become my job to give Andrea a reality check and keep her from getting strike two. How can I get through to her about the risks of sex? Gail Mendelsohn, New Haven, Connecticut
Dear Gail: An alarming number of the young and sexually adventurous become acquainted with the risks of sex at a doctor’s office upon learning they contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
According to government data, about half of the 26 million STD infections reported in 2018 were in people aged 15 to 24. Young women are especially vulnerable; other studies show that STDs infect one in four teenage girls.
Experts maintain STD numbers are low. Millions fail to act, some out of shame or ignorance, others because they’re unwilling or unable to get tested. Even worse, STDs are sneaky, often having no obvious early-stage symptoms. And recovery for those diagnosed has worsened since the Covid pandemic caused disruptions to services treating STDs.
STDs are nothing to shrug off. The most common ones can cause cervical cancer and infertility, and they stick around. Like AIDS, no cure exists for viral STDs.
Nobody said talking about sex with a grandchild comes easy. Start out by admitting it and use TV, film or some real-life situation to break the ice and start the conversation. When in doubt, the Internet contains a wealth of resources.
Grand remark of the week
“Grandchildren are so much fun we should have had them first.” — professional funnyman Gene Perret
