ATLANTA — The rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States are among the highest of any developed country in the world, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said after a study found that STD cases continue to rise. The CDC study released Nov. 16 said chlamydia and gonorrhea are stable at unacceptably high levels, while syphilis, a life-threatening disease that was on the verge of being eliminated a decade ago, is resurgent.
Overall, the CDC estimates that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year and almost half are among 15- to 24-year-olds, but the study found that 63 percent of syphilis cases were among men who have sex with men. Syphilis cases increased by nearly 18 percent since 2007, the study said.
Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said the high rates of STDs among teenagers likely stem from a combination of causes. Huber said about 68 percent of sex education programs across the country teach contraceptive education.
“Contraceptive promotion education probably is more accurately stated. They give a green light to a lot of gateway sexual activities that put teens at risk for STDs, and all the while the programs are implying that these gateway activities are not risky and completely ignoring the fact that these behaviors usually lead to sexual intercourse,” she said. “Even when they don’t, teens can acquire some of the most widely transmitted STDs.” (TAB)
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