In a first-ever analysis, 25 percent of all teenage girls in the U.S. and nearly half of African-American girls ages 14 to 19 were found to have a sexually transmitted disease. Those alarming rates suggest that admonitions to teenagers about safe sex are falling on deaf ears and that when it comes to infectious diseases, a lot more effort must be put into education, screening and prevention.
Some experts familiar with high levels of sexual activity among teenagers as well as young women's greater vulnerability to STDs weren't surprised by the results. But researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who managed the survey in 2003-2004 were troubled that an estimated 3.2 million teen girls have had at least one of four common STDs, including chlamydia and human papillomavirus (HPV). It's also disturbing that many of the young women may have been unaware of their condition or the likelihood of transmitting it to their partners.
The findings make it clear that abstinence-only curriculums funded by the Bush administration are simply not relevant to large numbers of sexually active teens. However, it would help to make a new vaccine against HPV more accessible to young women who are at risk of suffering the worst consequences of infectious diseases, such as infertility and cervical cancer.
What all teens, and arguably preteens, need is comprehensive sex education that gives them information about condom use and contraception and encourages them to stand up for themselves in relationships. These programs are generally most effective.
Beyond education, young women under the age of 25 should be screened at least annually for STDs.
The survey didn't look at individual cities. But Baltimore, which provides free screenings at two public clinics, has seen increases in some STDs, such as chlamydia (following a national trend), and a reduction in rates of others, such as syphilis, from 1995 to 2005, according to city Health Department data.
Maryland, like many states, does not require parental notification if a minor child is tested or treated for an STD. But doctors and clinic workers should encourage young women and men to talk about their sexual relationships and provide appropriate information about STD prevention. And opening more community health centers in low-income areas could help reduce the alarming racial disparities in infection rates.
The CDC survey emphasizes the importance of expanding these efforts to keep more teenagers safe from these preventable diseases.
