Washington, Dec 15 (IANS) Nearly 50 percent of urban teenage girls may acquire a sexually transmitted disease within two years of becoming sexually active, a new study said.
In the study, researchers found that half of the 381 girls enrolled were infected with one sexually transmitted disease (STD) - chlamydia (pain during sex or bleeding after sex) or trichomoniasis (itching, burning, and inflammation of the vagina). The girls were aged 14 to 17 years.

“Depending on the organism, within four to six months after treatment of the previous infection, a quarter of the women were re-infected with the same organism,” said Wanzhu Tu, an associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM).

Within two years, about three-quarters of participants with an initial STD were diagnosed with a second sexually transmitted infection, although not necessarily of the same type.

Within four years of an initial STD, virtually all (92 percent) of the participants had a subsequent STD.

“To our knowledge, this study provides the first data on the timing of the initial STD and subsequent STD following the onset of sexual activity in urban adolescent women,” said Wanzhu.

The study also found that screening for STD may not be initiated until several years after sexual activity begins, especially for girls with earlier onset of sexual activity.

“This is important because many clinicians are reluctant to address sexual activity with younger teens, and may miss important prevention opportunities,” said J. Dennis, paediatrics professor at the IUSM and senior study author.

The study focuses on lower income urban adolescents; a group characterised by early onset of sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, and high STD rates, said an IUSM release.

The study appears in the December issue of Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.