By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than a quarter of U.S. teens are infected with at least one sexually transmitted disease and this rate is higher among people black, revealed on Tuesday health officials.
About 3.2 million girls between 14 and 19 years, 26 percent of the population in that age group are sexually transmitted infections such as human papilloma virus, chlamydia, genital herpes or tricononiasis, said the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English). 48 per
percent of black teenagers were infected, compared with 20 percent of white girls and 20 percent of girls of Mexican descent. The report gave no details on the rest of the population of Hispanic origin.
"What we found is alarming," he told reporters CDC's Dr. Sara Forhan, who led the study.
"This means that many young women are at risk of serious effects in these untreated STDs, including infertility and cervical cancer," she added.
The Dr. John Douglas, director of prevention of sexually transmitted diseases at the CDC said a complex mix of factors is causing the high rates of infection among black girls, whereas in this group the presence of these infections is higher.
"Consequently, to perform any sexual act with any partner, a person who is not infected at greater risk of contact with infection and spread," said Douglas.
The CDC said the infection rate of these diseases among American teenagers may be even higher than the study indicates because it did not include syphilis, gonorrhea and AIDS, although these conditions are usually rare in young that age.
The CDC said the report was presented at a meeting in Chicago, was the first to study the most common venereal diseases in the group of teenage girls, throwing the best evidence to date.
Among girls who had a sexually transmitted disease, 15 percent had more than one. About 50 percent said they had sex and within that group, 40 percent had at least one such condition.
Of the girls who had only one sexual partner, 20 percent had at least one disease.
The study was based on data from 838 girls who participated in a survey of nationally representative health between 2003 and 2004, by which performed tests to several sexually transmitted diseases.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than a quarter of U.S. teens are infected with at least one sexually transmitted disease and this rate is higher among people black, revealed on Tuesday health officials.
About 3.2 million girls between 14 and 19 years, 26 percent of the population in that age group are sexually transmitted infections such as human papilloma virus, chlamydia, genital herpes or tricononiasis, said the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English). 48 per
percent of black teenagers were infected, compared with 20 percent of white girls and 20 percent of girls of Mexican descent. The report gave no details on the rest of the population of Hispanic origin.
"What we found is alarming," he told reporters CDC's Dr. Sara Forhan, who led the study.
"This means that many young women are at risk of serious effects in these untreated STDs, including infertility and cervical cancer," she added.
The Dr. John Douglas, director of prevention of sexually transmitted diseases at the CDC said a complex mix of factors is causing the high rates of infection among black girls, whereas in this group the presence of these infections is higher.
"Consequently, to perform any sexual act with any partner, a person who is not infected at greater risk of contact with infection and spread," said Douglas.
The CDC said the infection rate of these diseases among American teenagers may be even higher than the study indicates because it did not include syphilis, gonorrhea and AIDS, although these conditions are usually rare in young that age.
The CDC said the report was presented at a meeting in Chicago, was the first to study the most common venereal diseases in the group of teenage girls, throwing the best evidence to date.
Among girls who had a sexually transmitted disease, 15 percent had more than one. About 50 percent said they had sex and within that group, 40 percent had at least one such condition.
Of the girls who had only one sexual partner, 20 percent had at least one disease.
The study was based on data from 838 girls who participated in a survey of nationally representative health between 2003 and 2004, by which performed tests to several sexually transmitted diseases.
