Sobering statistics on teen pregnancy and STDs
The teen pregnancy rate increased in 2006 and again in 2007, after 14 years of declines, according to a report released today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It's among a string of worrisome statistics released today that indicate after recent years of improvements, some trends are getting worse. Among the findings in the CDC's analysis of youth sexual and reproductive health:
+ The rate of AIDS diagnoses in young men (15-19 years old) is on the rise, nearly doubling from 1.3 cases per 100,000 population in 1997 to 2.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2006.
+ In 2006, about 1 million teens and young adults had chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis. And the rates of syphillis, for men and women, are on the rise.
+ The humanpapillomavirus, or HPV, is widespread. Between 2003 and 2006, nearly a quarter of girls 15-19 years old had an HPV infection. That figure was 45 percent for young women ages 20-24.
Now the big question is why?
"It is imperative that all of us at the national and community level work together to ensure STD and HIV prevention programs are reaching young people, particularly in communities with the greatest burden of disease," said Dr. Kevin Fenton with the CDC.
Comments
Question: Have you done any research in the past years on the high school drop-out rate? I am asking because when I completed my thesis for grad school, teenage pregnancy in the Urban community was my topic. I found that high school drop-outs and teen pregnancy are inter-related. I am also curious since I was also a teen parent. At the age 15 to be exact.
Thanks,
Sheena Wallace, M.B.A
Posted by: Sheena Wallace | July 16, 2009 2:54 PM