According to health officials, some sexually transmitted illnesses are on the rise in the United States, with more syphilis cases reported last year than at any point since 1948.
Infection rates for syphilis increased by 26% in 2021 compared to the previous year, marking the fastest pace of growth since 1996. Last year, there was a 16% increase in new HIV cases.
The issue is currently “out of control” due to the presence of monkeypox, according to David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, who spoke to the Associated Press.
According to experts, the increases may be caused by a lack of testing and preventive initiatives, a delay in diagnosis during the pandemic, drug and alcohol usage, a drop in condom use, as well as an increase in sex during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In a lecture delivered on September 19 at the 2022 STD Prevention Conference, Leandro Mena, MD, of the CDC said, “It is essential that we… fight to rebuild, innovate, and extend (STD) prevention in the U.S.
A higher use of condoms as well as at-home STD tests comparable to at-home pregnancy tests could arise from prevention initiatives. Additionally, health experts seek additional money for both prevention and treatment.
Genital sores are a side effect of the bacterial illness syphilis. It can cause serious symptoms and even be fatal if left untreated.
Syphilis infection rates started to decline in the 1940s with the widespread use of antibiotics; they reached their lowest point in 1998 at 7,000 new cases.
They have begun to rise once more by 2002, mostly among gay and bisexual males. More than 52,000 new cases, up from 41,700 in 2020, were reported in 2021.
The rates are higher among men who have sex with other men, as well as among Native Americans, Blacks, and Hispanics. Infections in women increased by around 50% last year.
