Sexual Health Buzz

One in four young females in the U.S. has at least one common sexually transmitted infection (STI), according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago. In the study, 838 girls aged 14-19 were tested for a range of STIs, including chlamydia, HPV, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes. According to the results, an alarming total of 3.2 million teen girls (about 26% of girls in this age group) were infected.

According to the report, 20% of Caucasian and Mexican American girls had an STI, while the percentage was 48% for African American girls, demonstrating that group is most at risk. About 15% of those who had an STI were found to have more than one. Out of the young women who reported having had only one partner, one in five had an STI. The two most common STIs were HPV at 18.3% and chlamydia at 3.9%.

The CDC released results from an additional study that may help explain why the STI rate is so high in young women. This second study showed that most women who received contraception from their doctors did not receive any information on STIs or how to prevent them, and the importance of testing was not discussed. The CDC suggests that young, sexually active women be tested each year for chlamydia and other STIs. They also stress the importance of the Gardasil(R) vaccine, which helps prevent genital warts and cervical cancer.