How high is high risk?

Many people know that teens who have difficult family lives or perform poorly in school have an elevated risk of experiencing a number of adverse situations, including unwanted pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, some individuals may underestimate how much more at-risk these youths are, compared to their peers who come from happy homes and schools that foster academic growth.

According to a recent article published by the Calgary Sun, high-risk adolescents are 10 times more likely to contract an STD, and as much as 30 times more likely to become infected with gonorrhea, specifically. The rate of unintentional pregnancies is also 20 times greater among this group, compared to the general teen population, the newspaper reported.

"High-risk youth are more sexually active and start sex at an earlier age. Due to substance abuse and abusive relationships, they sometimes don’t have control or power to make decisions," reproductive health specialist Wendi Lokanc-Diluzio told the news provider.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for nearly half of the more than 19 million new STD cases reported in the U.S. annually.