Teenagers make up almost 40 percent of those diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases in Mississippi.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that there has been a 25 percent jump in chlamydia within the last five years.

Figures from the state Department of Health show that number of HIV/AIDs cases among Mississippi's 15- to 24-year-olds went from 131 in 2007 to 160 in 2008.

The number of syphilis cases among 15- to 19-year-olds also rose from 52 to 63.

At school clinics in the city of Jackson and Hinds County, nurses perform wellness exams that include blood work on students. They do so with parents' permission.