CDC report finds STIs continued to rise in 2021

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea continued to rise in 2021, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (Source: “STI Increase: Syphilis Cases Spike 74% in Four Years,” Healthline, April 13).

According to a new CDC report, more than 2.5 million STIs were reported in the United States in 2021, marking a 7% increase in cases between 2017 and 2021. Cases of syphilis saw the biggest spike, growing by 32% between 2020 and 2021.

The CDC says the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove many people to forego or delay prevention services like testing, contributed to the spread of STIs. Before the pandemic, STIs were already on the rise — a trend that has disproportionately impacted ethnic minority groups, gay and bisexual men, and people younger than age 25.