Array
More than 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted infections were reported in 2021, jumping by 7% in one year, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The US STI epidemic shows no signs of slowing,” said Dr. Leandro Mena, director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention.
Chlamydia accounted for more than half of the reported cases, with rates increasing about 4% in 2021. Cases of gonorrhea rose nearly 5%.
Cases of syphilis surged 32% in one year, including an alarming rise in infections passed from pregnant mothers to babies developing in the womb. In 2021, congenital syphilis caused 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.
“The most important thing to remember is that congenital syphilis is 100% preventable,” Mena said. “In many ways, it is the result of our failure to prevent syphilis among women of reproductive age and their partners.
