Five Americans contracted a sexually transmitted infection every minute last year, while cases remained at a near record level.
But the CDC says there are signs that the STI epidemic is slowing after increasing 90 percent in the past 20 years.
Official data published today showed that there were 2.4 million sexually transmitted infections in 2023, which is only 3 percent more than the previous year.
In recent years, annual infections have increased by more than 30 percent. The CDC said the numbers provided a “glimmer of hope.”
Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, added: ‘After nearly two decades of increases in STIs, the trend is changing.
“We must make the most of this moment; let’s fuel this momentum with creative innovation and greater investments in STI prevention.”
A major resurgence of syphilis in the past 20 years, including among newborns, has kept doctors up at night. But after years of double-digit increases, cases increased just 1 percent.
Meanwhile, gonorrhea cases declined for a second year, declining 7 percent from 2022 and falling below pre-pandemic levels. Chlamydia case rates remained stable.
The CDC says there are signs the STI epidemic is slowing after increasing 90 percent in the past 20 years.
