SEXUALLY transmitted diseases are ravaging American teens, according to a first-ever federal study. Tuesday's report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said random testing found that one-fourth of examined girls between 14 and 19 was infected with an STD.

Tragically, the infection rate among black girls was 48 percent. Whites and Hispanics suffered 20 percent incidence.

These alarming numbers are a jolt to everyone, especially teens and their parents. They show something deeply amiss in the United States. We doubt that Europe or Asia have such ominous STD rates.

Foremost, the findings show that puritanical "just say no" sex education favored by fundamentalists and the current Washington administration is a flop. After Tuesday's report was released, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards commented:

"The national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.... Iowa just became the 17th state to reject federal funding for dangerous abstinence-only programs. Congress should put the right foot forward and immediately stop funding for dangerous abstinence-only programs that deny young people information about how to prevent pregnancy, protect their health and make responsible decisions."

It's fine to tell high school students to abstain from sex, as fundamentalists want. But that approach obviously isn't enough. The failure of just-say-no sex education also was shown last year when federal studies found that births to teen mothers had risen for the first time in 15 years.

In addition to abstinence lectures, youths need practical, commonsense, matter-of-fact instruction about birth control and disease prevention. Europe teaches schoolkids in this manner, without taboos, and enjoys much lower rates of teen pregnancy.

Many healthy adolescents think they're indestructible. They need factual classes teaching them otherwise - and teaching them how to protect themselves from ugly side-effects.

Tragically, the infection rate among black girls was 48 percent. Whites and Hispanics suffered 20 percent incidence.

These alarming numbers are a jolt to everyone, especially teens and their parents. They show something deeply amiss in the United States. We doubt that Europe or Asia have such ominous STD rates.

Foremost, the findings show that puritanical "just say no" sex education favored by fundamentalists and the current Washington administration is a flop. After Tuesday's report was released, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards commented:

"The national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.... Iowa just became the 17th state to reject federal funding for dangerous abstinence-only programs. Congress should put the right foot forward and immediately stop funding for dangerous abstinence-only programs that deny young people information about how to prevent pregnancy, protect their health and make responsible decisions."

It's fine to tell high school students to abstain from sex, as fundamentalists want. But that approach obviously isn't enough. The failure of just-say-no sex education also was shown last year when federal studies found that births to teen mothers had risen for the first time in 15 years.

In addition to abstinence lectures, youths need practical, commonsense, matter-of-fact instruction about birth control and disease prevention. Europe teaches schoolkids in this manner, without taboos, and enjoys much lower rates of teen pregnancy.

Many healthy adolescents think they're indestructible. They need factual classes teaching them otherwise - and teaching them how to protect themselves from ugly side-effects.