Sexually Transmitted Infections remain a major headache for Americans and their wallets, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in five Americans in the US would have an STD in 2018, while there were an estimated 26 million new cases that same year. These new cases also generated billions in direct medical costs.
In recent years, there has been a steady annual increase in reported STIs in the US. In 2018 there goods nearly 2.5 million confirmed cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis – the highest combined number of all three ever reported in a year. However, most STIs are usually not reported, often because they do not cause any visible symptoms at first or because people are reluctant or unable to get tested.
Tried this new CDC report to account for these hidden cases, while also allowing the financial toll caused by STDs in 2018. It seemed in eight common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus type 2 (the most common cause of geneital herpes), human papillomavirus (HPV) and trichomoniasis.
Nearly 68 million Americans – about one in five – were estimated to have a chronic or acute STD in 2018, with 98% of these infections caused by chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, or HPV. Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes and HPV also accounted for about 93% of the 26 million STD cases estimated to have occurred in 2018.All told, these new infections resulted in a direct lifetime medical cost of about $ 16 billion, although that is likely an underestimate of their true price label.
“The total cost of STDs is much higher than the medical costs estimated in this study, excluding costs related to productivity loss, other non-medical costs and STI prevention,” the report authors wrote.
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STDs caused by bacteria or parasites remain easy to treat once diagnosed, although there have been cases antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea are now a real concern. The viral hepatitis B and HPV are almost completely preventable with an effective vaccine for children. And the risk of getting STDs can be significantly reduced by using condoms and other safe onessex practices, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. In other words, the tools to reduce the burden of STIs are there.
There are many reasons why STIs are on the rise in recent years, and it probably has nothing to do with it younger people who have more sex (the opposite May be honest, really). The renewal from abstinence-only sex programs during the Trump administration and reduced access to quality sexual health care and testing are likely more concrete factors.
As this report only covers 2018, it is an open question whether the pandemic has reduced the incidence of STIs since 2020, as it has with other infections such as the flu. It is possible that rates of STDs can jump as soon as people can socialize freely again. But in any case, practicing safe sex and getting tested regularly if you’re sexually active, especially with multiple partners, will remain the best ways to prevent STIs for the foreseeable future.