Preliminary data released in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows sexually transmitted diseases continue to skyrocket in the U.S.
The data reveals that STDs continue to surge “with no signs of slowing,” rising from 2,400,000 infections to 2,500,000 throughout the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a 26% rise in new syphilis infections throughout 2021, the highest rate since 1991, The Associated Press noted.
The highest rates of syphilis are among men who have sex with men, and in black, Hispanic, and Native Americans, the CDC found. The rates are lower for women, but rates of congenital syphilis — when a mother passes the disease to their baby — soared from roughly 300 cases around 10 years ago to almost 2,700 in 2021.
CDC STD Director, Dr. Leandro Mena, opens #STDConf22 by sharing key principles for turning the STI epidemic around:
• Increase accountability – CDC & STI programs can’t do it alone
• Re-envision STI prevention services
• Drive innovation pic.twitter.com/X3ASvwDXDc— CDC STD (@CDCSTD) September 19, 2022
“It is imperative that we … work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the U.S.,” the CDC’s Dr. Leandro Mena said at a conference Monday, according to the AP. He noted that the 211 cases of congenital syphilis in 2021 led to stillbirths and infant deaths.
HIV cases also rose a further 16% in 2021, prompting experts to speak out on the crisis. Executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, David Harvey, called the soaring rates of STDs “out of control.”
Some experts have urged the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of the potentially deadly diseases.
“People are feeling liberated,” University of Alabama’s Dr. Mike Saag said, according to The AP, suggesting that there may have been a surge in sexual activity as people came out of COVID-19 lockdowns. (RELATED: ‘Sex Offenders And Dentists’: X Files Star David Duchovny Has Wild Theory About UFOs)
Mena pushed for reducing the stigma around STDs, as well as broadening screening and treatment services, including at-home testing, the AP reported.