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CDC: Young People Account for Half of All New Sexually Transmitted Infections
February 14, 2013 - After years of sex education in the nation's public schools, a new report indicates that many young people are not listening or learning how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.
CDC: Young People Account for Half of All New Sexually Transmitted Infections
February 14, 2013 - After years of sex education in the nation's public schools, a new report indicates that many young people are not listening or learning how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.
The report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 19.7 million new sexually transmitted infections in the United States each year, and young people ages 15-24 account for half of them. Among those young people, the CDC found that 51 percent of the new infections occur in young women and 49 percent in young men. "Because STIs are preventable, significant reductions in new infections are not only possible, they are urgently needed," the CDC said.
CDCs analysis included eight common sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and trichomoniasis. Some of those infections can cause serious health problems if not diagnosed and treated early. And aside from the health implications, the new STIs cost nearly $16 billion in direct medical costs, the CDC reported.
Because some STIs especially HIV require lifelong treatment and care, they are by far the costliest. In addition, HPV is particularly costly due to the expense of treating HPV-related cancers. However, the annual cost of curable STIs is also significant ($742 million). Among these, chlamydia is most common and therefore the most costly, the report said. "Abstaining from sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and consistently and correctly using condoms are all effective STI prevention strategies," the CDC said.
Other findings:
-- Four of the STIs included in the analysis are easily treated and cured if diagnosed early: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. However, many of those infections go undetected because they often have no symptoms. CDC noted that undiagnosed and untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can put a woman at increased risk of chronic pelvic pain, life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, and can also increase a womans chance of infertility.
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