Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Young People Double in 10 Years
The Independent
Maxine Frith
March, 31, 2004
According to a report released March 30 by the Office for National Statistics, STD cases among children and teenagers in the United Kingdom have doubled in the past 10 years. In 2001, more than 1.3 million people under age 20 were diagnosed with an STD, and young people were the most at risk, the report said.
Among all age groups, women under age 20 now have the highest rates of chlamydia, which can cause infertility. Reports of genital warts, the most common STD, increased by 15 percent among female teens during the past decade. One-third of women diagnosed with genital warts in 2001 were under age 20, compared with 10 percent of infected men.
"The sexual health of adolescents in the UK is poor," the report stated. "It is likely that an increase in risky sexual behavior has contributed to sexual health outcomes and unwanted pregnancy among young people."
Millions of pounds have been spent to reduce teenage pregnancies, but the report said the strategy is meeting with little success. For the past 10 years, pregnancies among 13- to 15-year-olds have remained the same: 10 per 1,000 girls. The report, which included statistics on a range of other health problems for young people, noted that huge inequalities exist between the society's richest and poorest children.