Adolescents and sexually transmitted diseases: diagnosis, developmental issues, and prevention.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be a public health priority; adolescents are the highest risk group for nearly all STDs. Health care providers play an important role in addressing the problem of STDs among teenagers. This article reviews diagnostic approaches, developmental aspects of adolescents, and prevention efforts. Findings related to the STD epidemic in adolescents and the theoretic and pragmatic issues regarding prevention efforts, are presented.