Study finds disconnect between STD levels and teens' self-reported sex rates

Researchers at Emory University have recently determined that teens' self-reported rates of sexual activity and subsequently taken blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) do not match up.

In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, a team of epidemiologists and sexual health experts found that 5 percent of youth who reported never having had sex were infected with at least one STD.

The team culled data on teen sexual habits from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. They then took urine samples from 14,000 adolescents and tested them for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

Among those who tested positive for one of these STDs, approximately 11 percent reported having had no sex in the previous year.

The study's authors said that the discrepancy may be accounted for by inaccurate self-reporting or non-sexual transmission of STDs.

They concluded that routine STD screening for all adolescents may reduce the spread of sexual diseases among teens and young adults, a population that has the highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those who suspect they have contracted an STD may consider looking into online testing services.