IMMUNOLOGICAL VIRGINS seem to be almost the only kind one finds among adolescents anymore, and that fact may in part account for the tremendous increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States.
At a symposium in New York City on "The 'Other' STDs: A Silent Epidemic," sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, Ga, authorities who have worked on stopping STD spread for years said the situation is now nearly out of control.
("Other" recognizes that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS] has become the overwhelming concern, leaving different STDs in the shade. The meeting was supported by a grant from Burroughs Wellcome Company.)
A major reason for STD increase is that young people are being exposed to infection, and acquisition is often rapid and asymptomatic. A great many of the more than 70% of people who are sexually active by age 19