Sexually Transmitted Infections on the Rise

From CitizenLink:

Sexually transmitted infections continue to rise, with the number of chlamydia cases setting another record in 2008, government officials said Monday.

There were 1.2 million new cases of chlamydia last year, The Associated Press reported, up from 1.1 million cases in 2007. Syphilis also has been increasing, with 13,500 cases of the most contagious form reported in 2008.

Dr. Miriam Grossman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and author, noted the diseases are spreading quickly among teenagers.

"If you look closely at what young people are being taught about sexuality," she said, "you will discover that it is being assumed that they will have sex at an early age and that they will have multiple partners."

There are an estimated 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections annually. Experts say the most common is human papillomavirus (HPV).

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— Josh Montez