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New CDC reports says STD testing rates are too low

Category: Chlamydia

Too few young women are receiving STD tests for chlamydia, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors of the study said more needs to be done to address this problem.

After reviewing survey data, the researchers found that just 38 percent of sexually active women under 25 received an STD test for the infection. The CDC recommends that all sexually active young women get screened for chlamydia.

Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevnetion, said that the findings indicate doctors are not being aggressive enough in offering testing to a population that is recognized as having a high risk of contracting the infection.

"This new research makes it clear that we are missing too many opportunities to protect young women from health consequences that can last a lifetime," he said. "Annual chlamydia screening can protect young women’s reproductive health now and safeguard it for the future."

He added that even though chlamydia is the most prevalent STD in the U.S., many young people do not seek testing because it does not present any major symptoms.