Cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections Increasing Nationwide

The number of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases nationwide has increased steadily over the past years, with racial and ethnic minorities continuing to be disproportionately affected, according to a report released on Tuesday, and reported by Ruth Padawer in The Record:

The CDC found that more than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported last year, the highest number ever reported for a sexually transmitted disease. It also reported that gonorrhea rates are up after hitting a record low -- and even more of those cases are resistant to common antibiotics. Lastly, the number of syphilis cases continues to climb, primarily among men having sex with men. And the rate of congenital syphilis, which can deform or kill babies, rose for the first time in 15 years. . . . The CDC estimates that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year, many of them undiagnosed or unreported, and they say almost half of the new infections occur among people ages 15 to 24. Much of the increase in gonorrhea and syphilis appears to be spurred by unsafe sex among gay men, particularly those who are too young to have watched friends die from AIDS.

"There's been a relaxation of standards, especially among men having sex with men, thinking the AIDS epidemic is under control" . . . Perhaps the most alarming figure, nationwide, is the surge in primary and secondary syphilis, the early stages that indicate recent infection. Only a few years ago, the disease was considered nearly eradicated, because syphilis rates across the country tumbled through the 1990s. In 1999, the U.S. surgeon general went so far as to predict that the disease would be eliminated by 2005. Since then, the rate in the United States has climbed steadily. From 2005 to 2006, the rate increased 14 percent, mostly among men, though increases were seen among women and newborns as well. . . .

Gonorrhea is the second-most-commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, with 358,366 cases reported in 2006. From 1975 to 1997, the rate of reported gonorrhea plummeted 74 percent, but it reached a plateau after that and has risen for the past two years. In 2006, the rate increased 5.5 percent from the previous year. Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that more cases are drug-resistant. In 2006, the CDC found 14 percent of gonorrhea cases were resistant to antibiotics previously recommended to treat the disease, up from 9 percent in 2005 and 7 percent in 2004 . . . [Read More]

Only effective abstinence programs can impact a reduction in STD. These programs help young people delay sexual involvement, reduce the number of partners, and plan for a healthy and sexually-fulfilled future.

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Tags: CDC, Centers for Disease Control, sexually transmitted, STD To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!