STD and contraception in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Medicine
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents is underreported.
• Existing studies often focus on single diseases or specific adolescent subgroups.
• A broader understanding of STD prevalence in adolescents is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate STD prevalence in unselected adolescent populations at two distinct genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.
• To compare STD rates in adolescents with those in the general patient population.
• To assess contraceptive practices among adolescent girls.

Main Methods:

• Examined STDs in adolescent boys and girls at two contrasting GUM clinics (inner London and Swansea).
• Compared adolescent STD diagnoses with diagnoses in all age groups attending the same clinics and national GUM clinic data.
• Assessed contraceptive use in adolescent girls.

Main Results:

• All adolescents studied had at least one infection, contrasting with 18% of adult patients diagnosed with no infection.
• Adolescents showed higher infection rates than the general patient population for most STDs.
• High incidences of pelvic inflammatory disease (London) and genital warts (Swansea) were noted in adolescents.
• Only 66% of adolescent girls used contraception, with only 8% using condoms.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents attending GUM clinics have a high burden of STDs, often exceeding adult rates.
• Contraceptive use among sexually active adolescents is suboptimal, necessitating targeted interventions.
• Healthcare providers should proactively assess sexual activity and offer appropriate contraceptive advice and GUM clinic referrals to adolescents.