Teen Victims of Dating Violence are at a Higher Ri
Friday, August 12, 2005
Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, published a study titled "Violence and Sexually Transmitted Disease/HIV Testing and Diagnosis Among Adolescent Females." The findings indicate that "[d]ating violence victims are more likely to be tested for and diagnosed with an STD or HIV" than those who do not experience dating violence." One of the authors noted that a "staggering proportion of teenage girls [are] experiencing physical or sexual violence from dating partners." The study's findings are based on Youth Risk Behavior Surveys completed by ninth through twelvth grade female students in Massachusetts in 1999 and 2001.
The authors stress the need for additional research and outreach programs to address the problem. They encourage additional or more thorough screening for dating violence and suggest that medical professionals make information about dating violence available to all patients.
Cited in: "Teens Who Experience Dating Violence at Greater Risk for STDs," Family Violence Prevention Fund NewsFlash, 11 August 2005.
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