Half Of Urban Teens Develop Common STIs Within Two Years Of First Sex, Study Finds

Half of female urban teens ages 14 through 17 contracted chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis within two years of having sex for the first time, according to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Reuters reports. Researchers followed 386 teen girls for up to eight years. Within one year of having sex for the first time, 25% had their first chlamydia infection (Brooks, Reuters, 12/7). Within six months of being diagnosed, 25% of participants with prior infections were reinfected, the study found.

According to the study, both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have guidelines for STI screening but "[n]either group has made evidence-based recommendations on the most appropriate starting age and the most appropriate frequency of screening." The study recommends that young women be screened for STIs within one year of having sex for the first time and that those with infections be re-tested every three to four months, the Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" reports. Untreated STIs can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, HIV, infertility, ectopic pregnancy and preterm birth (Roan, "Booster Shots," Los Angeles Times, 12/7).

Study investigator Wanzhu Tu of the Indiana University School of Medicine said, "These young women are vulnerable to STIs, but because of their younger age, they may not be perceived by health care providers as having STI risk, and thus are not screened in a timely manner."

Support Program Cuts STI Risks, Commentary Says

A commentary in the same journal detailed a program that reduced risky sexual behavior among female blacks ages 15 through 21 in Atlanta by providing them with group counseling, telephone support and vouchers for their partners to obtain STI testing and treatment. The program reduced first and recurrent chlamydia infections and increased condom use. It also lowered participants' use of douching, which is linked to increased STI risk. Commentary author Bonita Stanton of Wayne State University wrote that perhaps the "most intriguing" result is that participants were able to convince their partners to get STI testing (Reuters, 12/7).


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