An estimated 1 million young Californians had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in 2005, including one in every four to five 15- to 24-year-olds in Los Angeles County, researchers said Tuesday.
The study, reported in the Los Angeles Times, also found that the cost of treating the new infections is more than $1 billion a year.
"This is no surprise," said Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "California has insisted on teaching contraceptive-based sex education in their schools all along. They expect teens to be sexually active. They don’t raise the health standard to abstinence.
"There were less than five California abstinence education programs funded by the federal government for next year. It's clear California supports sexually active teens, and STI rates will naturally explode with these policies."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2004 that 9.1 million new STIs occurred nationwide among 15- to 24-year-olds in 2000, with a direct medical cost of $6.5 billion.
