Article: Teens underestimate risk of sexually transmitted disease, survey finds 42% say they've had sex, but few talk about disease or think they will catch one

Sexually active American teenagers radically underestimate their chances of getting a sexually transmitted disease other than AIDS, according to a national survey to be released today.

Fully three quarters of the teens surveyed underestimated the incidence of sexually transmitted disease. That attitude may be putting them at greater risk for infection, said the survey authors, who noted that approximately 4 million teens get a sexually transmitted disease every year.

Just 4% of sexually active teenagers report having a sexually transmitted disease, while the actual number is probably closer to 25%, according to Tina Hoff, director of public health information and communication for the ...

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