A study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 out of 4 teenage girls between 14 and 19 years old has a sexually transmitted disease. It was also found that STDs were more common in black girls, where almost half of those studied were found to have an STD, while there was only a 20 percent prevalence in caucasian and latino teens. Even more shocking was the fact that approximately half the girls studied responded that they had sex, and 40 percent of those girls had an STD.

While many of those numbers are shocking, there was also a part in the study that stated how teens define sex in many different ways. There are those that believe intercourse is sex, period. There are those that also define other forms of intimate behavior as sex, and many of those behaviors can spread STDs, too.

The fact that sex is defined so differently among teens made me wonder how many Christian teens also define sex in different ways. Some may be participating in risky behaviors, because they define sex as "intercourse only." This thought was disconcerting, because many intimate behaviors can lead to intercourse, STDs, and emotional connections that one may or may not be ready for. While the Bible says sex between a husband and wife can be beautiful, I wonder what an STD does to that situation. Even if a Christian teen doesn't "go all the way," other sexual activity can also have its consequences.

• What the Bible Says About Sex
• 10 Lies About Sex, Dating, and How Far Is Too Far
• CNN News: 1 in 4 Teen Girls Has an STD