STDs Set New Record in US

Number of new diagnoses in 2017 beats 2016's record by more than 200K
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 28, 2018 6:21 PM CDT
STDs Set New Record in US
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / jarun011)

A record has been set in the US, but not one to celebrate: Almost 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were diagnosed last year—more than 200,000 over the record set in 2016, per the CDC in a report released Tuesday. One CDC director says there have been "steep and sustained increases" in sexually transmitted diseases over the past five years, a "very concerning" trend that hasn't been seen in two decades. Experts suspect that with newer drugs lowering the risk of HIV infection and making the virus itself less lethal if it is contracted, condom usage has declined, leading to the rapid rise in STDs. But experts tell NBC News that other factors likely contributing include less funding for agencies focused on STD prevention, doctors failing to test patients for STDs, and a general lack of awareness about sexual health—including the need to get tested even if no symptoms are present. (More sexually transmitted diseases stories.)

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