One in four, or about 3.2 million, teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study also found that 48 percent of African American teenage girls are infected with a STD.
The study was presented at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago last week. According to the actual study, this "is the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common STIs (sexually transmitted infections) among adolescent women in the United States."
The representative sample used for the study included 838 women between the ages of 14 and 19. They were tested for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, chlamydia, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection and trichomoniasis.
The most common STD found was HPV at 18 percent, according to the study. Nearly 4 percent were found with chlamydia; 2.5 percent had trichomoniasis; and 1.9 percent had HSV-2.
"Today's data demonstrate the significant health risk STDs pose to millions of young women in this country every year," Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, wrote in a study summary. "Given that the health effects of STDs for women -- from infertility to cervical cancer -- are particularly severe, STD screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among our highest public health priorities."
Beth Collitt, marketing manager at Penn State University Health Services, said she was surprised to see how high the numbers were.
"What it does seem like to me is a good chance to get the word out again," she said, "Young women between the ages of 14 and 19 should get the HPV vaccine and get tested on a regular basis, and both of those things can happen here at UHS."
Collitt said AIDS testing is free, and that UHS offers testing for all sexually transmitted infections.
Gardasil, the immunization against HPV viruses known to cause cervical cancer, is available at UHS, but Collitt suggested obtaining Gardasil wherever your insurance would cover it because it is expensive: $160 for each of three injections, plus visit and injection fees.
In the STD testing that UHS has done in the 2006-2007 year, Collitt said 105 tested positive for Chlamydia, six were positive for gonorrhea, 28 positive with HSV-1, 10 positive with HSV-2, and no positive results for HIV. But other than just getting tested, UHS has a health promotion and wellness department that provides free condoms in the office at all times and free HIV testing. There is also counseling available and safe sex parties given by health educators for groups of people, Collitt said.
Naila Rahman (sophomore-electrical engineering) said her roommate helps coordinate the safe sex parties that UHS offers. She said she hasn't attended but thinks it's a great idea and makes learning about safe sex fun and humorous.
Rahman also said she wasn't surprised that one in four teenage girls has an STD.
"Lately, people have gotten pretty casual with sex, especially the amount of teenagers in high school," she said.
Rahman said she thinks some teenagers aren't learning about safe sex because of abstinence programs in high schools.
"Teaching about safe sex rather than just saying 'no' makes a big difference," she said.
