STDs More Common Than Thought

March 1, 2007 — -- Like most young women, Jaime knew that unprotected sex could lead to sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.

However, when she chose to have sex with her new boyfriend, she did so unprotected.

"I guess it was embarrassment," she says. "I waited for him to say something about it, and since he didn't, I didn't either."

It wasn't until months later that Jaime realized the enormity of her decision.

During a routine visit to her gynecologist, the doctor performed a pap smear "to check for STDs and be on the safe side," Jaime says.

"I remember her saying that everything looked fine, and that she'd be surprised if anything came back positive."

Days later, Jaime got a call informing her she had contracted chlamydia.

"I was devastated," says Jaime. "I was so angry with myself for not caring as much as I should about protection."

When it comes down to it, Jamie says she never thought the people she trusted enough to sleep with would have an STD.

"I thought I couldn't get an STD because I wasn't overly promiscuous, and I thought that only 'dirty' people got them."

As many as 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly half of these infections are among young people ages 15 to 24 years old.

"This is a disturbing trend that we've been seeing for a while," says Eli Coleman, professor and director of the University of Minnesota program in human sexuality.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, according to the CDC.

In 2006, more than 970,000 new cases of chlamydia were diagnosed -- a 51 percent increase from 2004.

Because chlamydia often goes undiagnosed, it can cause severe health problems. Up to 20 percent of those infected can become infertile.

Increasingly, other common STDs are being diagnosed in sexually active youths.

Herpes infects at least 45 million people 12 years old and older. The CDC says one out of five adolescents and adults have contracted a genital herpes infection.