foodconsumer.org: Sexually transmitted diseases in Americans aged 10 to 24

Sexually transmitted diseases in Americans aged 10 to 24
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admin on 07/19/2009 20:12:00
 
Below is part of the report released on July 17 by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention that addresses the sexually transmitted diseases among
persons aged 10 to 24 in the United States.
HIV/AIDS
In 2006, a total of 2,194 persons (668 females and 1,526 males) in the United
States aged 10--24 years received a diagnosis of AIDS, and a cumulative total of
9,530 persons (3,914 females and 5,616 males) were living with AIDS. The
majority of persons aged 10--24 years who received an AIDS diagnosis in 2006
were young adults aged 20--24 years (71% of females and 80% of males), and 72%
of total diagnoses were received by males (1,526 of 2,194 total diagnoses).
However, among persons aged 10--14 years, the majority of AIDS diagnoses (61%)
were received by females.
The number of young persons living with HIV/AIDS† in the 38 areas with stable
(i.e., confidential name-based) HIV reporting also is presented (Tables 4 and
5). In 2006, a total of 5,396 young persons (1,540 females and 3,856 males)
received a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, and a cumulative total of 21,890 young persons
were living with HIV/AIDS in these 38 areas (9,024 females and 12,866 males). As
with AIDS diagnoses, the majority of HIV/AIDS diagnoses occurred among young
adults aged 20--24 years (1,049 [68%] of 1,540 females and 2,922 [76%] of 3,856
males) and were male (3,856 [71%] of 5,396 total diagnoses). Among youths aged
10--14 years, more diagnoses were received by females than by males (44 [70%]
and 19 [30%], respectively).
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Adolescents and young adults aged 15--24 years have high rates for the most
common STDs. Persons in this age group have been estimated to acquire nearly
half of all incident STDs although they represent only 25% of the sexually
active population (25). Reasons for the increased rates include biologic
susceptibility, risky sexual behavior, and limited access to health care (23).
Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis diagnosed in the United States are
reported to CDC via NNDSS. Of these three STDs, for which federally funded
ccontrol programs exist, chlamydia is the most frequently reported among all age
groups of young persons. In 2006, among youths aged 10--14 years, 12,364 cases
of chlamydia were reported in females and 1,238 in males; among adolescents aged
15--17 years, 130,569 cases were reported in females and 23,665 in males; among
adolescents aged 18--19 years, 162,823 cases were reported in females and 35,155
in males; and among young adults aged 20--24 years, 284,763 cases were reported
in females and 93,035 in males (Tables 4 and 5). Chlamydia screening is not
recommended for males, so the consistently higher reported rates of chlamydia
among females probably reflects compliance with recommendations for chlamydia
screening for all sexually active females aged