Prevalence of venereal disease in indigent pregnant adolescents

The prevalence of venereal disease in an indigent adolescent maternity population was determined. Of 740 teenagers examined for gonorrhea and syphilis, 2,4% were found to have gonorrhea, whereas 0.6% had primary syphilis. A concomitant study of 740 adult maternity cases at the same hospital revealed a somewhate higher incidence. Some factors in venereal disease prevalence in pregnant teenagers are discussed briefly.