25% Of U.S. Girls, Young Women Ages 14 To 19 Have Common STIs, CDC Study Says

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 13 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PST

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About 25% of U.S. girls and young women ages 14 to 19 have at least one of four common sexually transmitted infections, according to a study released Tuesday by CDC during a conference in Chicago, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the study was the first to look at data on the four most common STIs in adolescent females, including human papillomavirus. The findings, when extrapolated to the general population, show that 3.2 million teenage girls have at least one of four STIs -- chlamydia, herpes simplex virus 2, HPV or the common parasite trichomoniasis, according to Sara Forhan, a CDC researcher who led the study. Officials at CDC said the findings underscore the need to strengthen screening, vaccination and other prevention measures for the diseases.

The 838 participants were chosen at random from CDC's 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Ninety-six percent of the participants submitted vaginal swabs for testing (Altman, New York Times, 3/12). About 18% of the girls were infected with HPV, 4% were infected with chlamydia, 2.5% had trichomoniasis and 1.9% had HSV2. About half of the girls surveyed acknowledged having sex. Among this group, 40% had at least one of the four infections (Wall Street Journal, 3/12). Among adolescents who reported having had one sex partner, the rate of STIs was 20% (Dunham, Reuters, 3/11). Of the participants who had an STI, 15% had more than one infection (New York Times, 3/12).

Nearly 50% of African-American girls had at least one of the four STIs, compared with 20% of white and Mexican-American girls (Wall Street Journal, 3/12). The researchers attributed the higher STI prevalence among black girls to limited access to health care (Beras, Miami Herald, 3/12). John Douglas, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention, at the conference recommended that physicians who diagnose girls and women with a curable STI give them additional drugs to give to their male partners. Douglas said the strategy, called "expedited partner therapy," is a "promising approach" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 3/12). Douglas also recommended that girls and women diagnosed with an STI be retested three months after treatment to detect and treat possible reinfection.

About 19 million new STIs are diagnosed annually in the U.S. in all age groups, according to the Times. Annual screening for chlamydia is recommended for sexually active women younger than age 25. CDC recommends that females ages 11 to 26 be vaccinated against HPV (New York Times, 3/12). The agency also recommends routine HIV testing for all people ages 13 to 64, regardless of perceived risk (Washington Times, 3/12).

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Douglas said that the high STI rates are "clear signs" that CDC "must continue developing ways to reach" people most at risk of contracting an infection (New York Times, 3/12). Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at CDC, said that "screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among [the agency's] highest public health priorities."

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the study shows that "the national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure," adding that "teenage girls are paying the real price" (Tanner, AP/Google.com, 3/11).

CBS' "Evening News" on Tuesday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Douglas and Elizabeth Alderman of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (LaPook, "Evening News," CBS, 3/11).

NBC's "Nightly News" on Tuesday also reported on the study. The segment includes comments from nurse practitioner Paula Bryant-Barnett and Fenton (Guthrie, "Nightly News," NBC, 3/11).

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