Teenage pregnancies increased in 2006 and 2007, according to a new government study. Rates had been declining since 1991. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at data from 2002 to 2007, and found that sexually transmitted diseases were also increasing among teenagers.
- The number of cases of syphilis increased among people ages 15 to 24 years old.
- About one million people in that age group had chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis.
- One in four females ages 15 to 19 had a human papillomavirus infection.
- The number of AIDS cases among males 15 to 24 years old is also increasing.
"This report identifies a number of concerns regarding the sexual and reproductive health of our nation's young people," said Janet Collins, director of CDC's national Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "It is disheartening that after years of improvement with respect to teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, we now see signs that progress is stalling and many of these trends are going in the wrong direction."
The study appeared in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Posted By: Contributor
