South Carolina health advocates are hoping the recent release of federal figures showing that 26 percent of US girls ages 14-19 are infected with at least one STD raises alarms and prompts discussion.

The situation is likely worse in South Carolina, whose STD ranking is among the highest of US states. A 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed South Carolina ranked fourth for chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence and 11th for syphilis.

The CDC study found that STD rates are much higher among black females, around 48 percent vs. 20 percent among their white counterparts. South Carolina has a higher African-American population than most states.

Bonnie Adams, director of New Morning Foundation, a group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancy, said the state must do more. "It is a perpetual issue in South Carolina in terms of not educating young women about [STDs] and not investing in prevention," she said.

Cuts in federal funding mean the state Department of Health and Environmental Control has struggled to maintain services at county clinics, said Tony Price, public information coordinator for the state STD program. "Prevention programs work," he said. "If we receive the funding, we believe it could work to improve these numbers."

Last year, the Legislature gave the STD program a slight funding increase, which is being channeled into early screening and treatment initiatives.

The CDC study provides "a reason for us all to refocus our efforts on a clear and consistent message that abstinence is the first and best choice for our young people," said Forrest Alton, director of the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "And if they're going to be sexually active, to make sure they use contraceptives."

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