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The estimated direct medical cost of sexually transmitted diseases among American youth, 2000.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2004;36(1):11-19.
Chesson HW, Blandford JM, Gift TL, Tao G, Irwin
KL.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Each year, millions of U.S. youth acquire sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs). Estimates of the economic burden of STDs can help to quantify the
impact of STDs on the nation's youth and on the payers of the cost of their
medical care. METHODS: We synthesized the existing literature on STD costs
to estimate the lifetime medical cost per case of eight major STDs-HIV, human
papillomavirus (HPV), genital herpes simplex virus type 2, hepatitis B, chlamydia,
gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and syphilis. We then estimated the total burden
of disease by multiplying these cost-per-case estimates by the approximate
number of new cases of STDs acquired by youth aged 15-24. RESULTS: The total
estimated burden of the nine million new cases of these STDs that occurred
among 15-24-year-olds in 2000 was $6.5 billion (in year 2000 dollars). Viral
STDs accounted for 94% of the total burden ($6.2 billion), and nonviral STDs
accounted for 6% of the total burden ($0.4 billion). HIV and HPV were by
far the most costly STDs in terms of total estimated direct medical costs,
accounting for 90% of the total burden ($5.9 billion). CONCLUSIONS: The large
number of infections acquired by persons aged 15-24 and the high cost per
case of viral STDs, particularly HIV, create a substantial economic burden.