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Announcements: STD Awareness Month --- April 2011
April is STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) on the lives of persons in the United States and the importance of discussing sexual health with health-care providers and sex partners. This STD Awareness Month's focus is on the importance of young persons getting tested. Even though they make up only 25% of the sexually active population, persons aged 15--24 years account for nearly half of the 19 million new STD cases each year (1). Undetected and untreated STDs can increase a person's risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and cause other serious health consequences, such as infertility. STD screening can help detect disease early and, when combined with treatment, is one of the most effective tools available to protect one's health and prevent the spread of STDs to others.
To increase STD screening among young persons, CDC is partnering again with MTV, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and other partners on the GYT (Get Yourself Tested) campaign. This year, the GYT website (http://www.gytnow.org) is offering resources for health-care providers to help them better serve their teen and young adult patients. CDC continues to update its interactive STD and HIV testing locator on the National HIV and STD Testing Resource website (http://www.findstdtest.org). CDC's STD Awareness Resource Site (http://www.cdcnpin.org/stdawareness) provides STD prevention partners with information and tools to support their local STD Awareness Month activities all year round. Additional information about STDs is available at http://www.cdc.gov/std.
Reference
- Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W Jr. Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspect Sex Reprod Health 2004;36:6--10.
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