The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs, also commonly referred to as sexually transmitted infections or STIs) occur every year in the U.S., half of them among people ages 15-24. A recent study found that one in four teen girls in the U.S. has at least one of the most common STDs.
Since many STDs show no visible symptoms, many of those who are infected do not know it. Among the more than one million Americans living with HIV today, one in five do not know they are infected. For other STDs, the rate is even higher. Lack of information and misconceptions about STDs keep many people from getting tested and treated.
- Fact Sheet : Sexual Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States