STD rates reach record high in United States10/20/16
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/health/std-statistics-record-high/index.html(CNN)There were more reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases last year than ever before in the United States, according to the latest STD surveillance report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The annual report, which was released on Wednesday, showed that the rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis -- the three most commonly reported STDs in the nation -- increased between 2014 and 2015, reaching an all-time high.
Reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis rose by 19%, gonorrhea cases rose by 12.8%, and chlamydia cases rose by 5.9%, from 2014. All three STDs are curable with antibiotics, but most infections go undiagnosed and untreated, according to the CDC.
"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 written statement (PDF).
"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."
The report included data on chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis from state and local case reports. Federal health officials actively track such reports, which involve a variety of private and public sources.
Data on other STDs, such as human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus and trichomoniasis, are not routinely tracked and were not included in the new report. While HIV is a STD that is actively tracked, it also was not included in this report.
Who is at most risk?
Last year, there were more than 1.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, a disease that can damage a woman's reproductive system and make it difficult for her to get pregnant if left untreated.
Young people, 15 to 24 years old, accounted for nearly two-thirds of last year's chlamydia diagnoses -- and half of the gonorrhea diagnoses.There were 395,216 reported cases of gonorrhea last year, and the STD has become progressively difficult to treat. Scientists at the CDC warned in July that the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, called Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is developing resistance to the antibiotic drugs used to treat it.
Men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of new gonorrhea cases last year, and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea was found to possibly be higher among the group, the new report showed.
Overall, young people and gay and bisexual men face the greatest risk of getting a STD, according to the new report. It's estimated that about half of the nearly 20 million new STD cases reported annually are among 15 to 24 year olds.
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