Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections Among Adults and Adolescents - United States, 2016

What is already known about this topic? In 2015, CDC established that there were approximately 41 million contact lens wearers aged =18 years in the United States, the majority of whom engaged in behaviors that put them at risk for serious eye infections. What is added by this report? In 2016, there were an estimated 3.6 million adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States who wore contact lenses. Of the adolescents who wore contact lenses, 85% reported at least one behavior that put them at risk for a contact lens–related eye infection, compared with 81% of young adults, and 88% of older adults. What are the implications for public health practice? Although adolescent contact lens wearers engage in some healthier contact lens hygiene behaviors than do their adult counterparts, there is room for improvement in order to prevent potentially serious outcomes including blindness. Prevention efforts should focus on encouraging contact lens wearers to replace their contact lens storage case regularly and to avoid sleeping or napping in contact lenses. © 2017 Department of Health and Human Services, All rights reserved.