Rates of gonorrhea at all-time low among adolescents

VANCOUVER, Canada — In 2012, rates of gonorrhea reached a historic low and rates of chlamydia remained steady among US adolescents, according to findings presented here at the 2014 Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting.

While this is good news, Sarah Kidd, MD, MPH, CDC Division of STD Prevention, and colleagues wrote in the abstract that adolescents aged 15 to 19 years continue to account for a large proportion of sexually transmitted infections with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

“The burden of disease remains high in this age group, especially in certain sub-populations,” the researchers wrote.

The investigators analyzed national chlamydia and gonorrhea case report data for 2003-2012 extracted from the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance and US Census Bureau. Kidd and colleagues found that in 2012, 433,239 chlamydia cases and 81,548 gonorrhea cases were reported among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years in the United States. Of those cases, adolescents accounted for 30% of all reported chlamydia cases and 24% of all reported gonorrhea cases.

During 2003 to 2011, the chlamydia rate among adolescents increased 41%. In 2012, however, the rate of chlamydia among adolescents decreased to 2,001.7 cases per 100,000 from 2,120.8 cases per 100,000 population reported in 2011.

According to the researchers, this is the first time since national chlamydia reporting began that rates of chlamydia infections have dropped.

The data from 2003-2011 also showed a decrease of 14% in gonorrhea infections among adolescents, which is also a historic low for this age group, according to the investigators.

“These findings support the CDC and US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations that clinicians should provide annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active female adolescents and gonorrhea screening for sexually active female adolescents at increased risk,” the researchers concluded.

For more information:

Kidd S. Abstract#2150.5. Presented at PAS 2014; May 2-6, 2014; Vancouver, Canada.

Disclosure: Kidd reports no relevant financial disclosures.