‘Tide is turning’: STI epidemic shows signs of slowing, CDC says
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Key takeaways:
- More than 2.4 million STIs were reported in the U.S. in 2023 — a 1.8% decrease from 2022.
- Data showed rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia decreased, whereas overall syphilis rates increased by 1%.
Although reported cases remain high, there are signs the STI epidemic in the United States is slowing after years of record numbers, the CDC said Tuesday.
According to the CDC’s annual STI report, cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis totaled 2.4 million in 2023, marking a 1.8% decrease from the more than 2.5 million cases reported in 2022.
According to the report, chlamydia remained the most common nationally notifiable STI in the U.S. in 2023. Overall, rates were similar to last year, although data showed a slight 0.1% decrease from the 1.649 million cases reported in 2022.
Data also showed that for the second year in a row, gonorrhea cases fell. Between 2022 and 2023, rates declined 7.2% to 601,319 cases after dropping by 8.7% from 2021 to 2022. The CDC noted that this marked a decrease to pre-pandemic levels.
Although overall rates of syphilis increased in 2023, the report outlined some progress against the infection. The rate of all stages of syphilis, including congenital syphilis, increased just 1% after years of double-digit growth — including last year’s 17% increase. Stage-specific data showed there were 53,007 cases of primary and secondary syphilis in 2023 — a 10.2% decrease from 2022 — and 53,573 cases of early nonprimary nonsecondary syphilis, which was a 5.9% decrease from 2022.
Rates of congenital syphilis, however, continued to increase, rising 3% between 2022 and 2023. Although this increase remains a concern, the CDC noted it was a significantly lower increase than the roughly 30% increase reported in previous years.
“I see a glimmer of hope amidst millions of STIs,” Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a press release. “After nearly 2 decades of STI increases, the tide is turning. We must make the most of this moment.”
Data derived from CDC.
References:
- CDC. Sexually transmitted infections surveillance, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/sti-statistics/annual. Posted Nov. 12, 2024. Accessed Nov. 12, 2024.
- Despite over 2 million sexually transmitted infections reported in 2023, CDC data suggest that the STI epidemic may be slowing. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p1112-sti-slowing.html. Published Nov. 12, 2024. Accessed Nov. 12, 2024.
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