Minnesota teen sexually transmitted infection rate hits record

A University of Minnesota survey indicates sexually transmitted infections among Minnesota adolescents climbed to record levels last year.

According to the University of Minnesota Medical School report, adolescents make up 7 percent of Minnesota's population, but they accounted for one-quarter of Minnesota's chlamydia cases and more than 15 percent of gonorrhea infections in 2018.

"It's definitely alarming to continue to see the rates of sexually transmitted infections continue to go up among youth," said Jill Farris who leads the school's adolescent sexual health training program.

She said STIs are up even though teen pregnancy is at a record low.

"We have a lot of young people who are using very effective methods to prevent pregnancy and we're really happy about that," she said. "I think at the same time messages about prevention of sexually transmitted infections just are not sinking in the same way," Farris said.

Farris public health workers need more resources for teen education.

"Clearly young people have gotten the message that avoiding pregnancy until they are a little bit older is a good thing," she said. "And we want to give the same messaging around avoiding STIs.