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Although sexually transmitted infections are still epidemic in the U.S., scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expressing cautious optimism that the new data are showing some reductions.
Overall, CDC scientists say there is evidence that the nation's STD epidemic, especially gonorrhea and syphilis, may be on the decline, but there is still a long way to go.
“I'm encouraged, and it's been a long time since I've felt this way about STIs,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. However, more than 2.4 million STDs will be reported in the US by 2023, and the impact of STDs on the health of Americans is dire.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 30 bacteria, viruses and parasites are present when people have vaginal, anal or oral sex. Some of these infections can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her child, sometimes with fatal results.
Globally, 1 million curable STDs are passed on to a partner or child every day. According to the World Health Organization. STDs can cause health problems beyond the initial symptoms; Some can lead to reproductive problems and even organ damage if left untreated.
A CDC report released Tuesday tracks three nationally notifiable STDs — chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — and more than a million more cases reported annually in the U.S. by 2023, 20 years from now.
chlamydia, Bacterial infectionIt was the most common sexually transmitted disease in the new report.
In the year The number of reported chlamydia cases in the U.S. in 2023 — more than 1.64 million — was about the same as the previous year. There was a slight increase in the incidence rate among males and a slight decrease in females.
Adolescents and young adults account for more than half of all chlamydia cases.
One of the biggest challenges with chlamydia is that there are often no symptoms, or infection can have subtle symptoms shared with other diseases, such as a burning sensation when urinating or an unusual discharge. But if left untreated, chlamydia can cause complications later in life, making it difficult to get pregnant.
A person with chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, and condoms can prevent infection.
The CDC recommends that gay and bisexual men get tested for chlamydia every year. The agency recommends annual screening for sexually active women who are younger than 25 or who have risk factors such as multiple sexual partners.
There were 601,319 cases of bacterial infection. Gonorrhea In the year in 2023, the second straight year of decline.
The rate of gonorrhea cases decreased by 7.7% from 2022 to 2023 and 9.2% from 2021 to 2022. The offers were seen across the board, for all demographics.
Like chlamydia, gonorrhea may not cause symptoms, but an untreated infection can lead to fertility problems. It can be prevented using condoms and treated with antibiotics.
Doctors recommend annual screening for all women under the age of 25 or older adults with multiple sexual partners, and the CDC recommends that gay and bisexual men be screened annually.
SyphilisA bacterial infection that can damage the brain, nerves, heart and eyes if left untreated remains a challenge for health care providers in the United States. The country has seen a double-digit increase in case rates. Over the past few years, but by 2023, rates have increased slightly, by 1%.
In the year The total number of reported syphilis cases in 2023 is 209,253, the highest since 1950. The new report showed a significant decrease in people in the first two stages of the disease, which are more contagious than the later stages.
Syphilis is transmitted when a person comes in contact with a syphilis sore, and not all sores can be covered by a condom, so condoms don't protect against all cases.
of The CDC recommends People who are sexually active and who know they are gay or bisexual should get tested regularly. The agency recommends testing for people living with HIV, taking PrEP to prevent HIV, living in communities with high rates of syphilis, or having a partner who has been diagnosed with syphilis.
Pregnant women can pass syphilis to their fetuses, for whom infection can be very dangerous, possibly leading to stillbirth, premature birth, or even neonatal death. All pregnant women should be screened at their prenatal visit. If there is an infection, antibiotics will prevent the disease from spreading to the fetus.
In the year The number of syphilis cases born in 2023 was the highest since 1992, with 3,882 cases reported, including 279 related deaths and neonatal/infant deaths. However, the rate of births shows signs of slowing down. Between 2022 and 2023, it increased by only 3%. By comparison, some past years have seen increases of up to 30%, the CDC said.
Researchers of the new report say that despite the epidemic in the US, they can't really explain why most people have STDs. Global trend.
The CDC's Mermin believes there are several factors driving STD trends, including a concerted effort among leaders in the public health community to diagnose and treat diseases early, to help control its spread. In addition, the number of people taking PrEP to prevent HIV may continue to decline, he said. Get tested for STIs regularly.
Also, the mermin was “unprecedented.” Provide temporary funding for disease interventionists in public health departments from the Biden administration. There is no clear indication that such funding will continue or increase in a second Trump administration, and funding varies by local and state level.
“It's important to focus our resources where our infestations are, and STD prevention is part of public health,” Mermin said.
The numbers in the report reflect what Dr. Philip Chan is seeing in his own clinic. door healthThe only publicly funded STD clinic in Rhode Island. Although the improvement in the rate of the disease is encouraging, after a year, it does not mean that the epidemic is over for a good number of people, he said.
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Chan, associate professor of behavioral and social sciences and Associate Professor At Brown University, he said he believes the increase in medicine, testing and treatment is slowing the spread of STDs in the community. He pointed to other positive trends, such as a drop in the number of high school students with four or more sexual partners and a 10% drop in the number of high school students who say they have had sex.
“This is good news, and regardless of your views on sex, we know that later onset of intercourse is generally associated with better health outcomes,” said Chan, who was not involved in the new report.
For the positive trend among STDs to continue, he said, the most important thing is to help the health of Americans as a whole.
“I think the biggest thing we can do when we talk about STIs is to improve primary care and health in general,” Chan said. “Access to care is probably the most important thing.”
's Deid McPhillips contributed to this report.