STDs rife among US teenage girls
One in four teenage girls in the United States has a ***ually-transmitted
disease, a study has
indicated.
The study, by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), found an even
higher prevalence of STDs among black girls.
Researchers analysed data from a nationally representative sample of 838
US girls aged 14 to 19.
A virus that causes cervical cancer - HPV - was the most common, followed
by chlamydia,
trichomoniasis and herpes.
The CDC says the study is the first in its kind to examine the prevalence
of common ***ually
transmitted diseases among adolescent girls.
It found that nearly half of the African-American girls surveyed had at
least one STD, while
the rate was 20% among white and Mexican-American teenagers.
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, affected 18% of the girls surveyed,
chlamydia 4%, trichomoniasis
2.5%, and herpes simplex virus 2%.
Screening recommended
The CDC's Devin Fenton said it was a serious issue because the diseases
could lead to
infertility and cervical cancer.
"Screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for ***ually
active women are among our
highest public health priorities," he said.
The CDC is recommending annual chlamydia screening for all ***ually active
women under 25, and
HPV vaccines for girls aged 11 to 12, followed by booster injections.
John Douglas, the CDC's head of STD prevention, says screenings are
underused because teenagers
often do not think they are at risk.
Analysts say some doctors are also reluctant to discuss screening with
teenage patients because
of confidentiality concerns, knowing parents would have to be told of the
results.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7290088.stm
|
