Adolescent misadventures with urethritis and cervicitis.

Inflammation of the cervix and urethra in adolescents is primarily due to infection by sexually transmitted disease (STD) organisms. These organisms are most commonly Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Urea-plasma urealyticum, and herpes simplex virus. The frequency and seriousness of these infections is, in part, due to developmental, behavioral, and biological changes which put adolescents at special risk for acquisition of these syndromes. Medical knowledge is now sufficient to effectively recognize and treat these STD syndromes. What is further needed is the personal and institutional determination, adaptability, and resources to apply present knowledge among adolescents. It is among these teenagers that the personal and societal costs of STDs are the greatest.