UNITED STATES: Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Community Program Helps Combat Teen STD Epidemic

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

UNITED STATES: Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Community Program Helps Combat Teen STD Epidemic

Women's Health Weekly (05.13.04) - Tuesday, June 29, 2004

According to recent CDC incidence and prevalence estimates, nearly half of the 18.9 million new US cases of STDs each year occur in young adults ages 15-24. "Recent estimates showing that nearly half of all new STD cases occur among the younger age group - 15 to 24 years of age - of American's sexually active population underscores the urgent need for increased STD awareness through education," said John Toney, medical director of the Florida Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Training Center, part of the CDC National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers.

The most common STDs are human papillomavirus (HPV), trichomoniasis and chlamydia. Nearly 1 million new cases of external genital warts, caused by genital HPV, are diagnosed each year, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

In response to a lack of HPV education and awareness, 3M Pharmaceuticals designed the "It Doesn't Discriminate" program, developed to enhance communication between health care providers and patients by addressing the signs, symptoms, causes and treatments of HPV and external genital warts. It Doesn't Discriminate will be presented at select national and regional nurse practitioner meetings throughout this year.

Nurse-practitioner program participants receive an adaptable information toolkit they can use to educate their communities about HPV and external genital warts.

Although there is no cure for HPV, genital warts can be eradicated through surgical, laser or chemical techniques performed in physicians' offices.
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