State data finds teen STD rate creeping up

The rate of sexually transmitted diseases among Madison county young adults has risen slightly, according to the Jackson Sun, a local news source in Tennessee.

The news agency reports that while teen pregnancies have dropped slightly since last year, the data, gathered by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, indicates that the county’s STD rates have increased since 2008.

These infections include herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV.

A regional coordinator of the TCCY noted that some of STD data is several years out of date, and told the Sun that the commission must be “proactive rather than reactive” when it comes to educating about STDs.

STD testing is especially critical for young adults, who may benefit from pursuing online testing services in order to determine their sexual well-being. Of the 19 million new cases of STDs in the U.S. each year, roughly half are contracted by 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.