Fact Sheet
Sexually-Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancies Among
Hartford Teens

· 28% of 7th graders report they have had sexual intercourse, increasing to 55% by 9th grade.1

· In Hartford during 1999, youth ages 10 to 19 accounted for:
594 cases (40%) of Chlamydia out of 1481
147 cases (27%) of Gonorrhea out of 5422

In 2000 they accounted for:
633 cases (39%) of Chlamydia out of 1620, a 7% increase over 1999
211 cases (32%) of Gonorrhea out of 668, 44% increase over 1999

· Many Hartford teens have a STD and do NOT know they are infected. A recent study at one community health center in Hartford showed that nearly 60% of those who tested positive for Chlamydia did not have any symptoms. One third of the study participants were adolescents.3

· In the year 2000, Hartford had more that twice the number (154 to 67) of diagnosed AIDS cases as Bridgeport.4

· In the year 2000, Hartford had almost twice the number (154 to 80) of diagnosed AIDS cases as New Haven.5

· In 1998, Hartford had the highest total percent of births to teens (24.8%) of any city in the country.6

· In the year 1999, Hartford had more teen girls give birth than graduated from the city's three high schools.

· A large body of valuation research clearly shows that sex and HIV education programs do not increase sexual activity- they do not hasten the onset of sex, increase the frequency of sex, nor increase the number of sexual partners. To the contrary, some sex and HIV education programs delay the onset of sex, reduce the frequency of sex, or reduce the number of sexual partners.7

Sources

1 The Hartford Action Plan on Infant Health, Inc., "Report of the Health Care Components and Cost/Benefit Analysis Projects on Teen Pregnancy Prevention", June 1997
2 State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health, " Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 1999 Surveillance Summary"
3 KA vom Eigen, BE Gould, "Screening Criteria for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in an Urban Primary Care Clinic," 2000
4 State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health, "HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2000"
5 State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health, "HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2000"

6 Child Trends, "Kids Count Special Report, 2001
7 Kirby, Douglas, "Emerging Answers, Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy," The National Campaign to Prevent Then Pregnancy, May 2001