Are female youth more at risk biologically than older women?
Adolescents are probably more biologically susceptible to STIs than older women because of a condition called cervical ectopy. This is a normal condition that is present in most female adolescents and becomes less common with age. Cervical ectopy develops when the cells that line the inside of the cervical canal extend onto the outer surface of the cervix. These cells are more vulnerable to infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. In addition, the risk of acquiring trichomoniasis, chlamydia, herpes and HPV (human papilloma virus) is possibly greatest at first exposure to the STI. Because first exposure often occurs during adolescence, both male and female adolescents are particularly vulnerable. Getting one STI makes it more likely that an adolescent may acquire other STIs.
