Parents, you should be concerned about the health of your teenagers. The number of Americans with sexually transmitted diseases (STD), particularly those between the ages of 15 and 24, continues to rise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the number of newly diagnosed STDs each year in the United States to be 19 million. In 2006, there was over a million new cases chlamydia making it the most common reportable STD in the United State. Gonorrhea and syphilis also showed an increase in new cases for the second year in a row in the United States. These statistics all come from CDC. If you are not talking to your teenagers about sex and STDs already then you need to start.

The estimated annual health care cost for treating these STDs is $14.7 billion. Those particularly hard hit by STDs are young women, minority populations, and men who have sex with men. Left untreated, STDs can have serious health consequences. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women. Syphilis can cause infant fatalities and neuralgic damage. Exposing oneself to the risky behaviors that can lead to these diseases also increases a person’s chances of contracting HIV, which causes the AIDS virus.

The CDC considers STDs to be a hidden epidemic of which most people are not aware. They estimate that the rate of infection might be twice the reported rate. The fact that the rates of new infections are increasing is an indicator that there should be greater public awareness. Health care providers also need to be more diligent in educating and testing their clientele. The CDC is recommending annual screening for chlamydia for all women under the age of 26, although teenage girls had the most new cases.

Gonorrhea was the second most common STD and is unfortunately becoming resistant to some antibiotic treatments. Another alarming fact is that black Americans are eight times more likely than non-black Americans to have chlamydia and they account for 69 percent of all new cases of gonorrhea.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine made this shocking comment about STDS, "This is an entirely preventable plague.” He went on to say that, “Consistent use of condoms would prevent almost all cases of STDs, along with HIV and unintended pregnancies.”

Adoptive parents of teenager from the foster care system in particular need to take notice of these figures. Teens in the foster care system are more to engage in risky behavior, which includes unprotected sex. If you have adopted one of these teenagers, consider asking their health care provider to provide periodic screening for STDs. Talk to your teenager about protection and provide access to it. Whether or not you approve of this behavior, you won’t be able to control your teenager 100 percent of the time. Therefore, you need to protect your child.

The data are included in the new CDC report: Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2006.

Herpes - Common STDs Your Teenager Should Know About
Chlamydia - Common STDs Your Teenager Should Know About
Genital HPV Infection - Common STDs Your Teenager Should Know About
Gonorrhea - Common STDs Your Teenager Should Know About
Immunization for Cervical Cancer

The photo was actually taken in Kenya at an orphanage. Written permission received from missionaries Paul and Tina Meek on November 14, 2007 to use photos.