1 in 4 Teenage Girls Infected With An STD
Research comprised by experts in the United States, with data from 838 teenage girls aged between 14 and 19, has concluded that at least one out of ever four have some form of sexually transmitted disease. This study, compiled from data between 2003 and 2004, examined the level of infection amongst the young women for common STD’s including Trichomoniasis, Herpes Simplex Virus, Human Papilloma Virus and Chlamydia.
It is thought that the main cause of this increase in sexually transmitted disease infection amongst teenage girls is the high number of unprotected sex, with many of these young women classifying sex as solely penetrative and not including oral and other sexual practice. This is considerably worrying as out of those who confirmed engaging in full sexual intercourse as many as 40% had some type of STD.
Researches at the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention also found that African-American girls were effected more than any other group, with 48% of these suffering with a STD compare to that of 20% amongst White girls. John M. Douglas, who lead this study, passed comment saying “High STD infection rates among young women, particularly young African-American women, are clear signs that we must continue developing ways to reach those most at risk. STD screening and early treatment can prevent some of the most devastating effects of untreated STDs.”