Vol.55 No.2 March 2007
Prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers; An approach to female teenagers
Iesaka Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, 2-9-2, Omotecho, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
Abstract
In order to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among teenagers, we investigated the prevalence of STDs among female teenagers who visited our adolescent clinic in 2003. We have been conducting lectures at the high schools in Gunma prefecture since 1993. In addition, we investigated the relationship between the sexual behavior of the teenagers and their family environment. Among the 194 female patients who visited our adolescent clinic in 2003, 54 (28%) had STDs; chlamydial infection in 27 cases (50%), candidiasis in 19 cases (35%), cervical dysplasia in 5 cases (9%), condyloma acuminatum and trichomonas vaginal infection in 2 cases (3.7%) each, and gonococcal infection and genital herpes in one case (1.9%) each. The infection rates with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 2004 were reduced to 66.5% and 69.7% as compared with those in 2001. As for the influence of the family environment on the sexual behavior of the children, the incidence of indulgence in sexual activities was higher among children who felt unhappy in their family than among those who felt happy. From these results, we consider that it is important to increase the level of awareness of teenagers and their families about STDs to prevent the spread of STDs among teenagers.
Key word
teenager, Chlamydia trachomatis, prevalence, prevention
Received
July 4, 2006
Accepted
November 27, 2006
Jpn. J. Chemother. 55 (2): 147-153, 2007
