**7. Conclusion**

Adolescents, particularly sexual minority youth, account for a disproportionate number of sexually transmitted infections. Several factors that put adolescents at increased risk for STIs have been reviewed here, including high-risk behaviors (unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, increased substance abuse, survival sex by homeless LGBT youth) and decreased reproductive and sexual health care utilization by teens. Barriers in accessing preventive care and treatment for STIs contributes to higher STI rates in this vulnerable population. Despite recommendations to discuss sexuality and risk behaviors with adolescents, providers may lack time, resources and appropriate knowledge surrounding screening guidelines, minor consent, and confidentiality to fully meet the needs of adolescent patients. A strong STI reduction initiative must place emphasis on the adolescent population and its unique attributes and needs.

**13**

**Author details**

Kari Schneider1

Minnesota, USA

provided the original work is properly cited.

\*, Joanna Ekstrom1

2 Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA

\*Address all correspondence to: sch1005@umn.edu

1 University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis,

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

and Rachel Cafferty2

*Adolescents and Young Adults: Targeting the Unique Challenges of This High Risk Group*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86251*

*Adolescents and Young Adults: Targeting the Unique Challenges of This High Risk Group DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86251*
