Teenagers and STDs: A Too-Common Pairing

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that 19 million Americans — including one in four teenage girls — are infected with at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD). As physicians, we know that these diseases are far more common than most people think. But are we doing our best to educate our patients and provide appropriate screening measures? How can physicians work to debunk common public misconceptions about STDs? Dr. Jill Grimes, a practicing family physician in Austin, Texas, and author of Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs, addresses a series of erroneous beliefs about STDs and offers counsel on the most effective ways for physicians to help tackle this critical public health problem. Dr. Jennifer Shu hosts.