Neighborhood poverty increases STI risk.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Sexually transmitted infection

Living in a poor neighborhood as an adolescent is linked to an increased risk of getting the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia in young adulthood, according to research published in the Journal of Urban Health. Children who live in poor neighborhoods during their teenage years have an almost 25% greater risk of having chlamydia in their early 20s--even if they themselves are not poor--than do teenagers living in wealthier settings.

The effect of living in an impoverished neighborhood on the risk for later infection is unaffected by other known sexually transmitted infection risk factors, such as depression, having multiple sex partners, or beginning sexual activity at a very young age.

"There is a long-term effect of living in poverty on the risk for STIs in young adulthood, above and beyond behavioral issues," stresses registered nurse Jodi Ford, lead author of the study. "We have a lot of interventions trying to address sexual risk behaviors, but few target neighborhood poverty and disadvantage--and this work shows that living in a poor neighborhood can have a long-term effect on health."

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that can affect both men and...