Predominant sexually transmitted diseases among different age and ethnic groups of indigent sexually active adolescents attending a family planning clinic.

The present study analyzed a group of 113 sexually active, indigent female adolescents attending a family planning clinic, for age, ethnic, or racial trends in the recovery of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma species, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. The overall recovery rate for N. gonorrhoeae was 8/112 (7.1%), with the highest rate occurring in black patients (7/82, 8.5%). The overall recovery rate for C. trachomatis was 31/113 (27.4%), with the highest rate occurring in Hispanics (7/21, 33.3%). The isolation of C. trachomatis was evenly divided among patients grouped by reason for visit. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, on the other hand, was isolated more frequently from patients coming for a sexually transmitted disease screen than from those attending for other reasons. There was a significant (p less than 0.05) increase in isolation of Mycoplasma species from 18-19-year-old patients, but no such difference was observed for U. urealyticum when compared to younger age groups. Factors associated with venereal disease prevalence in our teenage indigent population as well as implications for the future reproductive health of such patients are discussed.