Young people account for half of all new STD cases

Although people of any age can develop a sexually transmitted disease (STD), a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention finds that people between 15 and 24 contract half of all new STD cases in the country each year. UPI reports that the estimated cost of treating STDs in this population is in the billions.

"Monitoring sexual activity and contraceptive use among teenagers is important because of the health and social costs of pregnancy, childbearing and STDs among the teenaged population," said study authors.

While the statistics may seem overwhelming, there was a percentage of teens reporting that they were choosing not to engage in sexual activity. The news source reports that from 2006 to 2010, a total of 41 percent of female teens and 31 percent of males said they did not have sex because of moral reasons.

Unfortunately, less than 7 percent cited a fear of STDs as a good reason to not have sex. This suggests that more education is needed to teach young people about the dangers of sexual infections.