STDs & Teens: A Reality Check

Of the 12 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that occur each year, 3 million (or 25 percent) are among teenagers. About 13 percent of youth ages 13 to 19 contract an STD each year.

Those statistics are enough to unnerve even the most grounded parent, which is why abstinence is so important for teens. However, knowledge is power, and it's crucial that you -- and your teen -- understand the risks involved in catching an STD.

Chlamydia. This most common bacterial STD is found in 20 to 40 percent of teens having sex outside of marriage. Up to 40 percent of all girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are infected -- the highest chlamydia infection rate of any age group. Chlamydia often has no overt symptoms, and if untreated can cause sterility in both males and females.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Up to 15 percent of sexually active teenage girls are infected with HPV. The majority of those infected have a strain that has been linked to cervical cancer.

Genital Warts. Viral growths that appear on the external genital organs, genital warts infect as many as a third of all sexually active teenagers. No permanent cure exists for these growths, with at least 20 percent recurring following removal. In females, there is an association between genital warts and cervical cancer.

Herpes. This is a viral infection that, undiagnosed, can cause miscarriage or stillbirth during pregnancy. There is no cure.

Gonorrhea. A highly contagious bacterial infection affecting the penis in men and the vagina in women, gonorrhea, left untreated, can cause sterility, arthritis, and heart trouble.

Syphilis. A serious, highly contagious, progressive bacterial disease that can affect all parts of the body -- the brain, bones, spinal cord, heart, and reproductive organs. New cases of syphilis in the U.S. fell during 1996 to their lowest level in 40 years -- 4.4 cases per 100,000. This is close to the historic low of 3.9 cases per 100,000 that occurred in 1956 and 1957.

AIDS. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease in which the body's natural defense system is disabled, allowing other bacterial and viral infections to become deadly. As of June 1997, the National Centers for Disease Control had counted 2,953 cases among adolescents aged 13 to 19, representing less than 1 percent of the total number of AIDS cases in the U.S.

Since the time between infection with HIV and the onset of AIDS may be several years, however, many young adults diagnosed with AIDS undoubtedly contracted the disease while teenagers. In fact, half of all HIV infections in the U.S. occur among persons under 25. There is as yet no cure for AIDS. Although new drugs are increasing the survival time for people who get AIDS and researchers are making progress in understanding it, the disease is still ultimately fatal.