There were more reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in 2015 (reported in 2016) than ever before in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) records dating back to 1941.
Though it’s the second year in a row with historically high STD levels, the latest annual report gives an unsettling glimpse at a nationwide epidemic involving chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
Among the three nationally reported STDs, chlamydia had the highest total number of cases, hitting more than 1.5 million -- highlighting a 5.9 percent increase from that of 2014. Meanwhile, syphilis saw the largest jump, with a 19 percent increase from 2014, reaching nearly 24,000 cases. Last but certainly not least, gonorrhea followed with a 12.8 percent increase, bringing the 2015 total to 400,000.
“We have reached a decisive moment for the nation,” said 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. We must mobilize, rebuild and expand services – or the human and economic burden will continue to grow.”
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Of those most affected by the STD rise, the report suggests that young people, gay and bisexual men face the greatest risk of becoming infected. Even more alarming – there continues to be a troubling uptick in syphilis among newborns.
“The health outcomes of syphilis – miscarriage, stillbirth, blindness or stroke – can be devastating,” Dr. Gail Bolan, Director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said in a statement. “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.”
The 2015 data reports:
- Individuals ages 15 to 24-years-old racked up nearly two-thirds of chlamydia cases and half of gonorrhea diagnoses.
- Men who have sex with men, also known as MSM, made up the majority of new gonorrhea and P&S syphilis cases.
- Women’s rate of syphilis cases spiked by more than 27 percent from 2014 to 2015.
- Congenital syphilis, which occurs when the infection is transmitted from an expectant mother to her baby, increased by 6 percent.
While a course of antibiotics can generally clear up all three infections, health officials have raised alarm about gonorrhea cases becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, especially among MSM. "We’re very concerned about the threat of untreatable gonorrhea," Bolan said in July. Meanwhile, chlamydia and syphilis are also increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics, according to the World Health Organization.
The significance? Ongoing cases of infections like syphilis can resurface as an infection of the central nervous system, leading to dementia. While chlamydia and gonorrhea can develop into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, resulting in chronic pain, infertility, and even ectopic pregnancies.
On the flip side, (though not captured in the report) the CDC reports another shocking statistic – more than 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV with about 14 million new infections each year. Although, 90 percent of these diagnoses are said clear up on their own (within two years’ time); if left untreated, lingering infections can lead to genital warts or worse, cancer.
