Good news comes from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. A new report shows that African American teens are far less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than before. In fact high school teens having sex has declined from 82 percent to 60 percent. The percentage of students with four or more sex partners has also decreased from 18.75 to 15.3% from 1991. And the most invigorating piece of news is that condom usage has increased from 46.2% in1991 to 60.2% in 2011.

This is in partly due to marketing campaigns targeted toward the younger generation.

Companies such as B Condoms, who market both luxury and socially responsibility are pushing the new generation to become more aware of both sexual education and prevention campaigns.

With the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, a new eye has been given to HIV and AIDS awareness. CDC’s top AIDS official, Dr. Kevin Fenton notes that African Americans are taking great precaution when it comes to getting tested for HIV. In fact, Laura Kann, co-author of the study, mentions:

“Overall, about 13 percent of high school students have ever been tested for HIV. Black students are far more likely, at 24 percent, to have been tested. [That suggests] more of them have gotten the message about the importance of testing.”

Have you explained to your teen the importance of a good sexual education and protection? If not, why not?