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Research shows that the percentage of US teens who have
sex is similar to what takes place in other developed nations.
However, the United States has much higher rates of teen preg-
nancy and STDs than many other countries. In a 2014 report,
the National Center for Health Statistics compares the United
States to thirty other developed countries. It reports that teen
birthrates in the United States are some of the highest. Accord-
ing to the report, the US teen birthrate is about twenty-six per
one thousand teens. Only seven of the thirty countries analyzed
had rates over twenty. In contrast, Japan, the Netherlands, and
Switzerland all have rates at less than five in one thousand.
The white and purple areas of this magnified image show human cells infected with
chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial infection spread through sexual
activity.
