San Francisco is such a cutting-edge city.  Not cutting-edge when it comes to reducing crime or successfully dealing with homelessness, but cutting edge when it comes to “cool” ideas like a free wireless network and, now, text messaging teens on their cell phones about safe sex. 

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city is spending $2,500 a month to run the program which is targeted at youth ages 12-24.  Kids can text message the city’s public health department and get a quick response about how to have safer sex or deal with the ramifications of unsafe sex.  City officials are concerned about the rising rates of sexually-contracted diseases.  For example, last year there was a 100 percent increase in gonorrhea in African American youth.

At the same time, a San Francisco chapter of Planned Parenthood is running a referral program that is giving away free movie tickets and entering kids in a contest to win an iPod if they encourage a friend to make a clinic appointment.

Isn’t it interesting that the STD rates are climbing in a city where there is no lack of information about safe sex, no lack of free condoms and plenty of places where kids can turn to adults to help them have safe sex.  Perhaps if the adults in San Francisco were talking to kids about waiting to have sex until they were older or (gasp) married, the STD rates might not be climbing. 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.