4 Troubled Teens Blog

A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that one in four young women 14 to 19 years old has a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Now, doctors are warning parents that some STDs do not have symptoms and can go undetected.

The most common female STD can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. The warts look like small, flesh-colored bumps or have a cauliflower appearance. Some may grow into large clusters.

Chlamydia, the second most common STD, usually has no symptoms. However, some females will feel a burning sensation during urination and experience abnormal vaginal discharges. If left untreated, girls will develop symptoms of nausea, lower back and lower abdominal pain, fever, pain during intercourse, and bleeding between periods.

Dr. Louis Tesoro of the Princeton HealthCare System recommends that all teenage girls get annual screenings and vaccinations for STDs.

Labels: sex, girls, sexually transmitted_diseases

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A first-of-its kind study has found that one in four teenage girls likely has a sexually transmitted disease. The study was conducted by researching a cross-section of medical records for 893 girls nationwide.

"The teens were tested for four infections: human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of the girls studied; Chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and genital herpes, 2 percent."

Though the data is based on records from 2003-2004, most believe it reflects current prevalence rates among teen girls. Some blame abstinence-only sex education programs that don't teach kids how to protect themselves if they do decide to have sex. Read more at Star-Telegram.com.

Labels: sex, risky_behaviors, sexually transmitted_diseases

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments