Worldwide, the highest reported rates of STIs are found among young people ages 15 to 24. In more developed countries, two-thirds of all reported STI infections occur among men and women under age 25, and in less developed countries, the proportion of infected young people is even higher. They usually lack information about STIs, their symptoms, the need for treatment, and where to obtain services. They are also reluctant to seek care, and providers may be hesitant to treat them. Because females with chlamydia and gonorrhea, the most common STIs, often do not show symptoms, and because having another STI increases an individual's susceptibility to HIV, young people are at high risk of contracting and spreading these infections.
Young women are particularly vulnerable to STIs for both biological and cultural reasons.
Adolescent women have fewer protective antibodies than do older women, and the immaturity of their cervixes increases the likelihood that exposure to infection will result in the transmission of the disease. Additionally, women in many societies are not accustomed to discussing issues of reproductive health and sexuality with others, which further increases their vulnerability. It is estimated that over 30 million adults and children worldwide are living with HIV or AIDS, but most do not know they are infected. In 1999, at the five-year review of the ICPD, governments established the goal of giving at least 90 percent of young men and women ages 15 to 24 access to preventive methods by 2005 in order to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection. These methods include female and male condoms, voluntary testing and counseling, and follow-up.