Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a concern for everybody who engages in sexual activity. In 2018, about one in every five persons in the United States was projected to have a STI, totaling around 68 million people, with more than one million new infections occurring globally each day. Sadly, due to the pandemic, there looked to be a low prevalence of preventive, testing, and treatment services over the world, resulting in a significant return of illnesses. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports an upsurge in syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in the United States and Canada, while other less frequent STDs have begun to emerge globally.
By the end of 2019, an estimated 38 million people were living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), about half a billion individuals had contracted genital herpes, and roughly 1 million people contracted a treatable STI every day. At the age of 25, half of all sexually active people will have had a STI.
Because of the ongoing rise in STD infections, the issue of prevention, treatment, and accurate statistics remains a heated topic. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the following factors have contributed to the spread of STDs:
“Many state and municipal STD program funds have been decreased in recent years, resulting in layoffs, reduced clinic hours, and higher patient co-pays, which can limit access to vital diagnosis and treatment services.”
In addition, poor access to healthcare, untreated cases, and a lack of education all contribute against the effort for STD prevention.
Novelty STD Test in Dubai hopes to promote sexual health and STD awareness by providing updated statistics and prevention strategies. Sadly, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, only 12% of all instances in young adults are recorded; the rest frequently go untreated. As a result, we’ve compiled this resource of current data on STDs in the United States and overseas, including current trends and hotspots.
US STD Stats
According to preliminary CDC surveillance statistics for 2021, the number of STD infections in the United States is continuing to climb. , According to preliminary estimates, there will be 2.5 million recorded cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in the United States in 2021. The CDC also reports that the prevalence of all of the most widely reported STDs in the United States has increased dramatically since 2017.
STDs also show varying trends according to sex, age groups and ethnicity. According to the CDC’s 2020 monitoring, chlamydia infections among women actually reduced, with a 15% drop in those aged 15-19 and a 10% drop in those aged 20-24. Infections with gonorrhea increased for both men and women between 2019 and 2022, with women experiencing a 15% increase while male infections increased by 6.6%. Among both men and women, syphilis infections increased, but males who had sex with other men reported a greater increase in primary and secondary infections (when syphilis is most contagious), accounting for 53% of all male cases in 2020. Nonetheless, primary and secondary syphilis infections in women are increasing, increasing 21% between 2019 and 2020.
According to the CDC, age has a substantial impact on STD prevalence:
“Compared to older persons, sexually active teenagers aged 15-19 years and young adults aged 20-24 years are more likely to contract STDs for a variety of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons.”
The American Sexual Health Association expands on the topic by noting characteristics that place young adults at a higher risk for STDs, such as drug and/or alcohol addiction, multiple sex partners, and unprotected sex. According to CDC data for 2019-2020, about 61% of all reported chlamydia cases were among men and women aged 15 to 24. In the same time period, primary and secondary syphilis infections increased by 24% in women aged 15 to 44.
This dramatic increase in occurrences can be directly related to a number of causes, including a lack of education. Sex education is only mandated in 30 states and the District of Columbia as of October 2020, with only 28 of those also mandating HIV instruction. A total of 39 states need HIV education. This means that there are 20 states where instruction on topics like safer sex practices and STD prevention is not required. However, just 22 states mandate accurate and complete safer sex and STD prevention education. Because of this lack of education, many young adults lack the knowledge required to make educated, responsible decisions about their sexual health.