As per the US government data, sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates for US adults fell last year. However, syphilis in newborns have continued to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisional data for 2024 showed a third consecutive year of fewer gonorrhea cases, and the second year in a row of fewer adult cases of chlamydia. The most infectious form is syphilis. However, cases of congenital syphilis, where infected mothers transmit the disease to their babies, haven’t shown the same progress. In infants, these infections can cause severe complications, including death or lifelong conditions such as deafness, blindness, and bone deformities.In the US, the number and rate of newborn cases has risen since 2012. This was when about 300 cases of syphilis were reported and rose to 4,000. The 2024 increases was, however, not as steep as in other years, and cases were up by less than 2% from 2023. However, health experts say no cases should be happening, and any growth is worrisome. "The continued rise in congenital syphilis is a distressing indication that we are not doing enough to protect pregnant women and newborns," said Elizabeth Finley, interim executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, in a statement.What Do The Numbers Say?About 1.5 million chlamydia cases, 543,000 gonorrhea cases, and more than 190,000 syphilis cases were diagnosed last year. Each was lower than the year before. Last year, the cases reported a decline of 9% from 2023. An overall decline in sexually transmitted diseases has to do with a general decline in young people having new partners, said Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Southern California.However, the drop in adult syphilis cases is all thanks to the growing use of the antibiotic doxycycline as a morning-after pill. This is especially true for the LGBTQ+ community, said CDC. Which States Reported The Highest STIs?As per the 2023 data, more than 2.4 million people were diagnosed with syphilis, gonorrhoea, and chlamydia last year, which marked a 2% decrease from 2022 and a 4% drop from the year 2019.10. New York: It has a total STI rate of 857.3 cases per 100,000 people9. Arkansas: 869.5 cases per 100,000 people8. South Carolina: 882.8 cases per 100,000 people7. North Carolina: 911.5 cases per 100,000 people6. Alabama: 952.3 cases per 100,000 people5. Georgia: 996.5 cases per 100,000 people4. South Dakota: 1,013.9 cases per 100,000 people3. Alaska: 1,063.4 cases per 100,000 people2. Mississippi: 1,067.7 cases per 100,000 people1. Louisiana: 1,181.5 cases per 100,000 peopleAs per a 2021 study, published in the book Sexually Transmitted Infections: Adopting a Sexual Health Paradigm, also published in the online portal of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2.6 million infections were found to be prevalent in the United States in 2018. 6.9 million infections common to people between the ages of 15 and 59. Another 2021 study states that women are 6 times more likely than men to have a prevalent infection.
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