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Do you know what is on the rise in the U.S.? Sexually transmitted diseases. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that annual cases for STDs reached an all-time high for the sixth consecutive year.
This comes from data between 2015 and 2019. Maybe the pandemic slowed this down a little? Probably not. A survey in January showed that about one-third of state and local STD program staff were deployed to assist with the pandemic.
The details
According to the study, “the sharpest increase was in cases of syphilis among newborns, which nearly quadrupled between 2015 and 2019.” The study’s director, Doctor Raul Romaguera, said that the public is not taking STDs seriously as it once did.
“Less than 20 years ago, gonorrhea rates in the U.S. were at historic lows, syphilis was close to elimination, and advances in chlamydia diagnostics made it easier to detect infections,” said Romaguera. “That progress has since unraveled, and our STD defenses are down. We must prioritize and focus our efforts to regain this lost ground and control the spread of STDs.”
Alabama has the highest infection rates for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the country. That’s a record you don’t want!
