Some Sexually Transmitted Diseases Increase

Story

Some Sexually Transmitted Diseases Increase

Special Report - November 26, 2010
Some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to increase among men who have sex with men, who account for over two-thirds of all cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in the United States, according to the latest STD report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The annual report, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance, 2009, tracks reported cases of three common STDs, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. The report shows that men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 62 percent of all P&S syphilis cases reported to the CDC in 2009—with more cases of syphilis among MSM than among heterosexual men or women in all racial and ethnic groups. According to the CDC, the largest increase in syphilis cases since 2000 occurred in MSM (up from four percent in 2000 to 62 percent in 2009). The CDC defines syphilis as “a genital ulcerative disease,” which “causes significant complications if untreated and facilitates the transmission of HIV infection.”

Among all groups, 2009 saw the highest number of P&S syphilis cases reported to the CDC since 1995. The report shows that there were a total of 13,997 P&S syphilis cases reported to the CDC, a five percent increase since 2008. Interestingly, North Carolina is ranked 8th in the nation in P&S syphilis rates, with a rate of 6.3 cases per 100,000 population (by comparison, the U.S. rate is 4.6).

Other key findings from CDC report include:

In 2009, there were 1,244,180 cases of chlamydia reported to the CDC—the largest number of cases ever reported to the CDC. The CDC notes that the increase is most likely due to increased screening techniques and better testing.
There were 301,174 cases of gonorrhea reported to the CDC in 2009, which represents a 10.5 decrease since 2008.
If gonorrhea and chlamydia are left untreated in women, they can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which is a major cause of infertility. The CDC reports that nearly 24,000 women become infertile due to an STD each year.
According to the CDC, the estimated 19 million new STD infections each year cost the U.S. health care system $16.4 billion annually.

Related resources:
STD Rate Much Higher For Homosexual Men - March 16, 2010
CDC Releases New STD Survey - November 19, 2009
The Physical Health Risks of Homosexuality - FNC - Jul/Aug, 2007