Are Sexually Transmitted Infections Increasing in Adolescents?

Abstract

In 2008, to most, it is not shocking news to hear that adolescents are having sex. However, in recent months, it may have shocked many to hear findings from a highly publicized national study stating that one in four adolescent girls (aged between 14 and 19 years) in the USA are infected with one of four common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) [1]. For those working in areas related to adolescent sexual health, these statistics were not likely surprising. For over a decade, compared to older adults, adolescents (15to 19-years old) and young adults (20to 24-years old) have had disproportionately higher rates of STIs [2]. The striking rate of STIs in the adolescent population often begets two questions: are STIs increasing in adolescents and why are STI rates so high among this population? Here, I provide a brief overview of adolescent sexual behaviors, the current status of STI and HIV rates in adolescents, and a summary of adolescent STI surveillance data compiled over the past 20 years, to assess whether STIs are increasing in adolescents, as well as providing some potential explanations for why STI rates are so high in the adolescent population.