Hey there, parents of teens! Heads up: experts are sounding the alarm about teens who start getting busy too early. Turns out, those who dive into sexual activity at a young age are more likely to catch nasty stuff like gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and even HIV. Yikes, right? These diseases are no joke; they cause all sorts of health and mental issues worldwide.

And get this: the younger they start, the higher the risk. So, it’s crucial to keep an eye on when your kid takes that big step and take steps to prevent it from happening too soon.

A study by researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, looked into this using data from a big survey on youth behavior by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They analyzed responses from over 22,000 teens who’d been there, done that.

Here’s what they found: about 7.4% of boys and 7.5% of girls reported having a sexually transmitted infection. And guess what? The younger they started having sex, the higher the risk of catching something. For example, compared to those who waited until 12th grade, kids who started in 7th grade had a whopping three times the risk of getting an STI.

This study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, is a wake-up call for parents everywhere. Let’s make sure our teens are armed with the knowledge and support they need to make responsible choices about their sexual health.