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A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in four adolescent girls between the ages of 14-19, or 3.2 million teen girls, is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases— Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia, Herpes, and Trichomoniasis. This study sheds new light on a chronic problem among adolescents in the United States—one that often receives little attention, in part, due to the sensitive nature of the topic. STDs can result in serious health consequences when left untreated, including cervical cancer and infertility, and cost the U.S. health care system millions of dollars in medical expenses. Clinical preventive services, services provided in a doctor’s office that can prevent a disease or detect it early when treatment may be most effective, can make a difference. Annual Chlamydia screening can prevent pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility Chlamydia infections, which were found in four percent of adolescent girls aged 14-19 in the recent CDC study, can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but can be detected through a urine test and easily treated with an antibiotic. The National Commission on Prevention Priorities’ report on the utilization of clinical preventive services, released in August 2007, highlights the impact Chlamydia testing can have on the lives of young women. The report found that 30,000 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease (a leading cause of infertility) would be prevented annually if 90 percent of sexually active young women (under age 25) were screened for Chlamydia. Currently, only 40 percent of young women under age 25 are screened each year. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, CDC, and many medical professional groups recommend that sexually active teens and young women be screened each year for Chlamydia. HPV vaccine can prevent cervical cancer Eighteen percent of adolescent girls were found to be infected with HPV, some types of which cause genital warts and some which cause cervical cancer. There is now a vaccine against the most common HPV types that cause cervical cancer. A series of three HPV immunizations (shots) is recommended for all girls aged 11-12. Because it is fairly new, “catch up” immunizations are recommended for all young women aged 13-26 who have not yet had the shots. Routine Pap smears to detect cervical cancer are still recommended for all sexually active women within three years of beginning sexual activity (or age 21) until age 65. Prevention can make a difference. Adolescent and young women should talk to their doctors or health care providers about HPV vaccination, and yearly screening for Chlamydia.
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