Could you talk about HIV with your boyfriend while on the dance floor?

If not on the dance floor, then where? Because you do need to talk about it.

That's the bottom line of the Young Women's Initiative, a teen-focused group working with the Minnesota Department of Health to find a solution for the reality that 25 percent of the nation's female teens have a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Included in that group are almost half of the country's African-American teenage girls.

The above information is factual, but it also sounds wonky. Marnita Schroedl, a community activist who founded the initiative, is determined to find the most persuasive, effective way to get teens talking with each other about something they'd rather not think about. To that end, she recently crammed teenagers, state health officials, youth workers and others into her Minneapolis dining room for one of the brainstorming sessions she calls Marnita's Table.

Over lettuce wraps and spaghetti, her guests shared more than a tablecloth. Challenged to come up with cut-to-the-chase questions, they responded: The first time you had sex, did you use protection? Was losing your virginity voluntary? What's your favorite condom? If your partner forces you to have sex, is it rape? Is oral sex sex?

It's one thing to pose such questions in a safe environment, Schroedl said, telling the group about the moment when she realized, years ago as a teenager, "that the anxiety I felt in my stomach wasn't love -- it was anxiety." So what's the best way to create that sense of safety in the everyday lives of teens in their schools, at dances, in coffee shops?

The need for a bright idea is urgent. Last month, the Minnesota Department of Health announced that the number of new HIV infections in Minnesota rose 13 percent in 2009, the biggest increase in 17 years. The largest cluster was among young gay and bisexual men, but department officials voiced concern about growing complacency and ignorance about the disease among teenagers and young adults.

They think it can be cured with a pill, said Denise Williams, an outreach supervisor for YouthLink's Project OffStreets, adding that the biggest challenge for adults is listening to teens speak frankly while not passing judgment. "Then everything's out the window," she said. "I'm pretty brazen and blunt about talking about sexual behavior so they know that they can have that conversation."

One thing became clear over dinner: Friends are the most influential at getting across a message about safer sexual behavior, followed closely by celebrities. "If Katy Perry walked up to me and said something, I'd say OK," said Jordin Jovanovich, 19, of Minneapolis.

At the heart of it all is the fact that for many teens, decisions about relationships often are driven by a desire "to meet an emotional need," Williams said. "The physical risk isn't even thought of."

To learn more about the Young Women's Initiative, go to Facebook and search for "Marnita's Table."

Kim Ode • 612-673-7185