Sexually transmitted disease rates for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea on the rise for the first time since 2006: CDC

• comments
• 
• 

Sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea have increased rapidly over the years that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have deemed it "alarming."

According to the report released by the CDC, the three diseases have increased last year for the first time since 2006. The report states that there were more than 1.4 million chlamydia cases reported in 2014, the highest number of sexually transmitted disease ever reported according to the agency. There were 350,000 cases of gonorrhea which increased by 5 percent from 2013 and almost 20,000 cases of syphilis.

The surge in cases has been observed in young adults who get infected after they become sexually active. The agency states that half of 20 million sexually transmitted diseases happen among 15- to 24-year-olds yearly. They remain to be the most at-risk group.

"Certainly, this is the first time since 2006 that all three of our notifiable sexually transmitted diseases have increased," said Dr. Gail Bolan from CDC, via NBC News. Some of the increases are quite alarming."

The worsening STD problem can also be observed among the gay and bisexual population.

"STDs affect people in all walks of life, particularly young women and men, but these data suggest an increasing burden among gay and bisexual men," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin of CDC, in a statement.

The CDC report summarized some causes why some gay and bisexual populaces fare better than others.

"A number of individual risk behaviors (such as higher numbers of lifetime sex partners), as well as environmental, social and cultural factors (such as higher prevalence of STDs or difficulty accessing quality health care) contribute to disparities in the sexual health of gay and bisexual men," the researchers wrote in the report.

"For example, gay and bisexual men with lower economic status may have trouble accessing and affording quality healthcare, making it difficult to receive STD testing and other prevention services. Additionally, complex issues like homophobia and stigma can also make it difficult for gay and bisexual men to find culturally-sensitive and appropriate care and treatment."

Furthermore, the report added that the STD rates can be observed among races as well. Blacks, in particular, had the highest rates followed other minority groups such as Hispanics, whites and then Asians.

The agency recommends regular screening for young sexually active adults as gonorrhea and chlamydia often don't have symptoms and can go undiagnosed. This can lead to severe reproductive health impacts, especially for women. CDC also noted that sexual health and STD education, as well as the encouraged use of condoms, can help prevent and reduce the risk of STD.