CBS NEWS – Syphilis rates surged by an alarming degree in 2021 amid an overall increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
There was a 32% increase in combined stages of syphilis between 2020 and 2021, the CDC said. Cases of congenital syphilis, which happens when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, also rose by 32%. The spike resulted in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.
“The U.S. STI epidemic shows no signs of slowing.” CDC STD Prevention division head Leandro Mena said.
The agency expressed concern that screening for the infections continued to be impacted by COVID-related disruptions in the second year of the pandemic, especially for chlamydia, which is often asymptomatic.
Chlamydia rates rose nearly 4%. Chlamydia, the most prevalent STI, accounted for 1.6 million of the more than 2.5 million reported cases …
U.S. STI Epidemic Showed No Signs of Slowing in 2021 – Cases Continued to Escalate
CDC MEDIA STATEMENT
“The U.S. STI epidemic shows no signs of slowing. The reasons for the ongoing increases are multifaceted – and so are the solutions.
“For the first time in decades, we’re seeing promising new STI interventions on the horizon, but these alone will not solve this epidemic.
“It will take many of us working together to effectively use new and existing tools, to increase access to quality sexual healthcare services for more people, and to encourage ongoing innovation and prioritization of STI prevention and treatment in this country.”
– Leandro Mena, MD, MPH, Director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention
[Mena made no mention of the need to restore standards of sexual morality or end the practice of unnatural sex acts. – HH]
