Cases of the most commonly reported STDs reached an “unprecedented” high in the US in 2015, with > 1.5 million chlamydia cases, nearly 400,000 gonorrhea cases, and nearly 24,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis.
According to the CDC’s annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report , between 2014 and 2015, the number of syphilis cases rose by 19%, followed by gonorrhea (12.8%) and chlamydia (5.9%). Young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for nearly two thirds of chlamydia diagnoses and half of gonorrhea diagnoses. Men who have sex with men accounted for most new gonorrhea and syphilis cases. The report also notes that antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea may be higher in this group.
Syphilis diagnoses in women jumped by > 27% in 1 year, which presents a serious risk for infants. For example, reported congenital syphilis (transmitted from a pregnant woman to the baby) rose by 6%.
But all 3 of those STDs are not only treatable, they’re curable with antibiotics. Widespread access to screening and treatment would reduce the spread. Undiagnosed and untreated, these diseases pose severe and often irreversible health consequences, including infertility, chronic pain, and a greater risk of acquiring HIV. The CDC also estimates a ”substantial economic burden” of nearly $16 billion a year.
In recent years, > 50% of state and local STD programs have had their budgets cut, the report notes, and > 20 health department STD clinics closed their doors in 1 year alone. “STD prevention resources across the nation are stretched thin,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.
The CDC says an effective national response to the epidemic requires engagement from many players. One suggestion: making screening a standard part of medical care, especially for pregnant women, and integrating STD prevention and treatment into prenatal care and other routine visits.