Dear Next President of the United States,

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report showing that at least one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease (STD).*

One in four equals more than three million teenagers with an STD and we are saddened and angry that our country has allowed it to happen.

We, one million people, believe that the current administration's overwhelming promotion of abstinence-only programs instead of real, comprehensive sex education in our schools is at the root of the problem. And we are sick and tired of seeing our teenagers pay the price for this backwards policy.

It is time for everyone who cares about teenagers to start focusing on the commonsense solutions that will help solve this problem. So, our question for you is this:

If you are elected, what are you going to do to reverse this dangerous and unhealthy course, and reduce the number of teenagers with sexually transmitted infections?

The statistic that at least one in four teenage girls has an STD may come as a shock to parents, but it underscores what Planned Parenthood and those who work tirelessly to reduce the numbers of both STDs and unintended pregnancies already know too well:

All too often in our society, teens are bombarded with conflicting messages about sex. They are looking to us -- parents, educators, leaders -- for honest and accurate information so that they can make responsible decisions. We need education programs in our schools that will keep teens healthy -- by including information about abstinence as well as about contraception, healthy communication, responsible decision making, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

And, if you are elected president, we need you to lead the way. We need you to be a president who isn't afraid to talk about hard issues, like sex education. Are you ready to be that president? We await your answer.