http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336749,00.html

CDC: At Least 1 in 4 Teenage Girls Has Sexually Transmitted Disease

At least one in four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease, or more than 3 million teens, according to the first study of its kind in this age group.

A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls — nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Among girls who admitted ever having sex, the rate was 40 percent. While some teens define sex as only intercourse, other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some infections.

For many, the numbers likely seem "overwhelming because you're talking about nearly half of the sexually experienced teens at any one time having evidence of an STD," said Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine and head of the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on adolescence.

But the study highlights what many doctors who treat teens see every day, Blythe said.

Dr. John Douglas, director of the CDC's division of STD prevention, said the results are the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common sexually transmitted diseases among adolescent girls. He said they likely reflect current prevalence rates.

"High STD rates among young women, particularly African-American young women, are clear signs that we must continue developing ways to reach those most at risk," Douglas said.

The CDC's Dr. Kevin Fenton said given that STDs can cause infertility and cervical cancer in women, "screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among our highest public health priorities."

The study by CDC researcher Dr. Sara Forhan is an analysis of nationally representative data on 838 girls who participated in a 2003-04 government health survey.

The results were prepared for release Tuesday at a CDC conference in Chicago on preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Four common diseases were examined — human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of girls studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and herpes simplex virus, 2 percent.

Blythe said the results are similar to previous studies examining rates of those diseases individually.

HPV can cause genital warts but often has no symptoms. A vaccine targeting several HPV strains recently became available. Douglas said it likely has not yet had much impact on HPV prevalence rates in teen girls.

Chlamydia and trichomoniasis can be treated with antibiotics. The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under age 25. It also recommends the three-dose HPV vaccine for girls aged 11-12 years, and catch-up shots for females aged 13 to 26.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has similar recommendations.

Douglas said screening tests are underused in part because many teens don't think they're at risk, but also, some doctors mistakenly think, "'Sexually transmitted diseases don't happen to the kinds of patients I see.'"

Blythe said some doctors also are reluctant to discuss STDs with teen patients or offer screening because of confidentiality concerns, knowing parents would have to be told of the results.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports confidential teen screening, she said.

Well. We obviously just need some more condoms and a more comprehensive approach to sex ed. Then these problems will go away on their own.

This study seems dubious in the extreme.

Why?

40% of teenaged girls get pregnant before they turn 20. Why would that percentage be any different than girls with STD's? They both result from the same irresponsible behavior (unprotected sex, irresponsible sex).

Where are you pulling that 40% number? That also strikes me as dubious.

40% of teenaged girls get pregnant before age 20? Uh huh. You want to back that stat up?

How come I knew like 5 girls in my entire high school of 1500 who got pregnant, in four years, and that was back when teen pregnancy rates were higher than they are now?

This is bullshit.

I would think it would be more around 100%.

I believe this, because I read it on the internet.

Also because teenaged girls don't do much of anything after the age of twenty.

aren't all teenaged girls under 20 anyway ?

edit : dammit...

Based on what I see on the internet, teenaged girls don't do much of anything besides taking nekkid pictures of themselves in the mirror for their boyfriends. They're probably all pregnant too, with AIDS.

http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/d ... g-2005.pdf



http://www.ripnroll.com/teenpregnancy.htm

It might be a little lower than that, but it's STILL disgustingly high.

Far be it from me to question stats provided by America's Condom Superstore, but the March of Dimes puts the number at 30%.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professiona ... 2_1159.asp

I'm just going to wait patiently for a post from LW where I can respond: Those Whores!

30%?!!!

Impossible. David went to a school with 1500 people and only five girls got pregnant there over the course of four years.

Bullshit!

30%? 40%? Either way it's a gross number.

edit: I was apparently way too late with my condom superstore joke.

Oh, ripnroll. I get it.

Go back to your link from the United Health Foundation. We're halfway to the 2015 goal you quoted. We're right on track.

I'd say that's pretty fucking sweet.

Yeah, except teen pregnancy rates bottomed out, and are going back up!

Isn't that one of the stereotypical Bush sucks digs?