U.S. STD Rates On the Rise

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections rose again in the United States in 2006, the second year in a row that rates of these sexually transmitted bacterial infections increased. The rate of chlamydia increased by 5.6 percent 2005 to 2006.

In 2006, more than 1 million chlamydia cases were reported. 2006 saw the most since the CDC began tracking the disease in 1984, and the highest number of annual U.S. cases ever for any sexually transmitted disease.

In addition, according to the CDC, reported cases of chlamydia are likely less than half the actual occurrence, the CDC said.

The rate of gonorrhea rose 5.5 percent in 2006, with more than 350,000 cases reported, and the rate of syphilis rose 13.8 percent, with nearly 10,000 cases.
About 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year in the U.S., almost half among people ages 15 to 24.

Sources:
Yahoo News November 13, 2007