Rates of STDs among young adults on the rise

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 19 million new cases of people developing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U.S. each year. Almost half of individuals diagnosed are between the ages of 15 and 24, suggesting that this population is particularly at risk of contracting these infections. 

According to the U.K. news source the Mirror, children as young as 11 are being diagnosed with STDs at an alarmingly high rate. As many as 1,000 people under the age of 16 were treated for sexual infections in England in the past year, and young girls appear to be especially at risk.

"Girls outnumber their male counterparts at almost three to one with the most common ­infection being chlamydia which, if untreated, can leave women infertile," said the Mirror.

British organization The Family Planning Agency, was quoted by the news provider as saying that these findings suggest that efforts should be increased in schools and at home to promote sexual health.