Substance Abuse Addiction: Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Facts - Outpatient Program

During your participation in the Outpatient addiction treatment program at The Right Step you will learn details regarding STIs.  This information presented to you during your treatment for drug and alcohol abuse will include facts such as the effects on men and women of all backgrounds and economic levels. While the subject may be uncomfortable to discuss, far too many active alcoholics and addicts become victims of STIs to ignor.  

You will also learn that STIs disproportionately affect women, infants, young people, and minorities. STIs are most prevalent among teens and young adults and nearly two-thirds of all STIs occur in people under age 25.

As early as 1996, WHO estimated that more than 1 million people were being infected with sexually transmitted infections daily.

Common Age Groups for STIs

About 60% of these infections occur in young people that are under 25 years of age and 30% of this age group is less than 20 years old. Between the ages of 14 and 19, STDs occur more frequently in girls than boys by a ratio of nearly two to one, but this equalizes by age 20.

Commonly reported STI prevalence among sexually active adolescent girls Chlamydia trachomatis (10 to 25%), Neisseria gonorrhea (3 to 18%), syphilis (0 to 3%), Trichomoniasis vaginalis (8 to 16%), and herpes simplex virus (2 to 12%).

Among adolescent boys with no symptoms of urethritis, isolation rates include C. trachomatis (9% to 11%) and N. gonorrhoeae (2% to 3%)

As you progress in the eight-week Intensive Outpatient addiction treatment program at The Right Step, you will continue to learn more STI facts and other medical details that are included in your treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.