Since 2003, the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. rose a staggering 90% in what has been called an out-of-control epidemic. However, the most recent national data from 2023 indicates the first signs that those STIs trends may be slowing.
Gonorrhea dropped for the second year in a row, declining by 7% from 2022 and dipping below pre-pandemic levels when rates increased after the initial stay-at-home orders were lifted. Meanwhile, overall syphilis cases increased by only 1% after years of double-digit increases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Primary and secondary syphilis cases dropped 10% from 2022, and newborn syphilis increased by 3% after increasing by an alarming 30% in prior years. The rates of chlamydia remained about the same in 2023 as the year prior.
