Web site helps parents discuss STDs

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CHICAGO, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Sexually transmitted disease rates are rising among teens but a new Web site may make it easier for parents to discuss the issue with their kids, officials say.

Dr. Renee Jenkins, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and one of the experts featured on the Web site BeSmartBeWell.com, said the site provides parents with resources and tips for when and how to start a conversation about sex and safe relationships.

"I think sometimes parents are petrified that their children are going to ask them a question and they won't know the answer, so they don't want to talk about it," Jenkins said in a statement. "So get educated."

A study earlier this year, published in the journal Pediatrics, concluded 6 percent of young people testing positive for an STD said they never had sex, indicating some young adults don't understand how people catch STDs and that they can catch some STDs without having sexual intercourse, Jenkins said.

The Web site features video interviews with some of the nation's leading health experts, as well as people living with STDs, Jenkins said.