Alarming Sex Statistics
- In 2007, 48 percent of high school students reported having had sexual intercourse.
- Nearly 50 percent of the 19 million new STD infections are diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 to 24.
- Ninety percent of teenage girls who are sexually active and don't use protection will get pregnant within a year.
- Thirty percent of teenage girls in the United States becomes pregnant at least once before the age of 20.
History of STDs
- Pre-1960s: Syphilis and gonorrhea are the only major STDs.
- 1976: Chlamydia is first recognized.
- 1982: Herpes becomes prevalent.
- 1996: HPV is recognized as the cause of 90 percent of all cervical cancer.
Curable or Not?
- Chlamydia — Yes, with medication.
- Gonorrhea — Yes, with medication.
- Syphilis — Yes, with early detection and medication.
- Herpes — No.
- HIV — No.
Statistics courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, StayTeen.org and the Guttmacher Institute.
