STD rates reach record high in United States
According to the CDC, there were more reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States last year than ever before.
According to the latest STD surveillance report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States last year than ever before.
The report was released on Wednesday and showed that the rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have increased since 2014, meaning they have reached an all-time high. Those three diseases are the most commonly reported STDs, and while all three are curable with antibiotics, the CDC has stated that most STDs go unreported and untreated.
Other STDs such as human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus and trichomoniasis are not routinely tracked and were therefore not included in the report. While HIV is routinely tracked, it also was not included in the report.
“We have reached a decisive moment for the nation,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said in a statement.
“STD rates are rising, and many of the country’s systems for preventing STDs have eroded,” he said. “We must mobilize, rebuild and expand services — or the human and economic burden will continue to grow.”
Mermin also addressed the growing risks for young people and gay men in particular. “The resurgence of congenital syphilis and the increasing impact of syphilis among gay and bisexual men makes it clear that many Americans are not getting the preventive services they need. Every pregnant woman should be tested for syphilis, and sexually active gay and bisexual men should be tested for syphilis at least once a year,” she said. “To reverse the STD epidemic, we should all learn to talk more openly about STDs — with our partners, parents, and providers.”
