How do sexually transmitted infections affect health?
If left undetected or untreated, STIs can cause many harmful and costly complications. Women bear the greatest consequences of STIs. Up to 40% of women with untreated chlamydia will develop pelvic inflammatory diseases and 20% of those women will become infertile. STIs can also lead to fetal and perinatal health problems and cancer. Who is at risk for getting an STI? STIs affect men and women of all backgrounds and economic levels. Because some STIs do not have noticeable symptoms, people may not know if they are infected — 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. Consequently, anyone who is sexually active is at some risk for becoming infected. People in the 15-24 year age group are most at risk, with two out of three cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea occurring in this age group. How common are STIs? • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nationally there are 15 million new sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. each year, m
