Sexually Transmitted Infections
Key points
- Sexually Transmitted Infections Currently, more adolescents are engaging in sexual intercourse than 15 years ago: 50% have experienced their sexual debut by age 16 and 75% by 19 years of age.
- The STDs are epidemic among teenagers, who represent 3 million STI cases reported annually in the United States.
- Prevalence Commonly reported prevalences of STIs among sexually active adolescent girls both with and without lower genital tract symptoms include Chlamydia trachomatis (10 to 25%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (3 to 18%), syphilis (0 to 3%), Trichomonas vaginalis (8 to 16%), and herpes simplex virus (2 to 12%).
- By use of molecular genetic techniques, human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA has been detected in 20 to 60% of female adolescents.
Mary-Ann Shafer, Anna-Barbara Moscicki
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
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