11 Facts About Teens and STIs

1. Nineteen million new STI infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.
2. 10,000 teens are infected by STIs per day, one every eight seconds!
3. One out of every four sexually active teens has an STI, and one in two sexually active youth will contract an STI by age 25.
4. In 2006, adolescents and young adults 13-29 years old accounted for the greatest percentage of new HIV infections (34%) than any other age group.
5. African-American young adults are disproportionately affected by HIV infection, accounting for 60% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 13 to 24 year olds in 2006.
6. An estimated one in five Americans have genital herpes infection, and up to 90% of them don't know it.
7. Teenagers are more susceptible to human papilloma virus (HPV). Rates of HPV infection in teenagers can be as high as 40%, whereas in the adult population, the rate is less than 15%.
8. Teens are also more likely to develop precancerous growths as a result of HPV infection, and these growths more likely to develop into invasive cancer.
9. 40% of older adolescents surveyed incorrectly believe that the contraceptive “pill” and “shot” protect against STIs and HIV.
10. Some young people, including those who have had abstinence education, consider oral and anal sex to be abstinent behaviors and do not realize these behaviors present risks of STI transmission.
11. Although youth are at higher risk for acquiring STIs, only 1/3 of sexually active teens age 15 to 17, and 1/2 of sexually active young adults ages 18 to 24 say they have been tested for STIs.

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Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kaiser Family Foundation
Students Against Destructive Decisions
Campaign for our Children
American Social Health Association