Celibacy here I come. Or, I mean, stay.

How about that flesh eating STD in The UK? [forbes.com]
Scary.

I think you covered all the bases here, and like a lot of problems in our society it has multiple causes. Lack of information is criminal when it comes to the education of children. It is our duty to give our children all the tools necessary to keep themselves safe from sexually transmitted disease and it is a great disservice to them to adopt a head in the sand attitude and pretend it won’t happen if they are kept in ignorance. As for older people, I suppose they think if they aren’t sleeping with prostitutes it is safe enough. Unless you are in a monogamous long term relationship and are not cheating on your partner, protection should always been used, that is only a sensible precaution. You are specifically talking here about US statistics so I cannot comment on whether the same is the case in my own country UK, I certainly haven’t heard any talk about it. I don't know enough about your healthcare system to say any more than it is their duty to promote safe sex.

Education, or lack of, is the source of almost every problem facing humanity.

You might add: Everyone in movies and TV having random sexual encounters, few show or even insinuate any form of protection. And very little actual media depiction of the results and problems associated with having an STD.

"Americans who, for some odd reason, apparently think that because they're old and heterosexual, they need not worry about disease when they hook up"....

Thanks for the reminder! Adds condoms to shopping list. I can't get pregnant but can still get sick!

I think you've got it right.

Aren't each of these a part of the health system ? I think another failure is , parents not being able to communicate with their kids .