As a result, adolescents are at risk of unplanned pregnancy and infections. Young women often have older sexual partners. In some parts of the world, older men deliberately seek younger partners whom they believe are more likely to be free from infection than adults. A variety of medical and social factors put adolescents at particular risk for RTIs. Because of barriers to receiving care, young people may be unable to seek timely and effective treatment for their infections.
Social taboos have tremendous impact.
A young woman suffering from an RTI as a complication of an unsafe abortion may be ashamed to seek care. Adolescents who do not control the circumstances of their sexual activity, such as victims of sexual coercion and abuse, are at risk of recurrent sexually transmitted infections even if they are able to seek treatment the first time. Adolescents, particularly young women, who become infertile as a result of an RTI may be stigmatized or be abandoned in cultures where fertility is closely associated with women's perceived worth. Young people need accurate information about RTIs and their need to seek health care. Contrary to some popular belief, evidence from many countries shows that when appropriate sex education is provided, it does not encourage early sexual experience or increase sexual activity among adolescents.