STD Risk Factors
•
Sexual activity
•
Early age of sexual initiation
•
Increased number of partners
•
Use of drugs or alcohol
•
Belief in invulnerability--”It doesn’t happen
to people like me”
Among US 18-19 year olds,
nearly 3/4 report ever having sex:
78% African Americans
74% white
70% Hispanic
1/4 of all sexually active adolescents contract an STD prior to leaving high school
Many STD’s are asymptomatic
