STDs increasing among gay and bisexual men

More than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2016, the highest number ever, according to the annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report released today, Sept. 26, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gay and bisexual men are among the groups where the STD epidemic is accelerating, according to the CDC.
While chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics, if left undiagnosed and untreated they can have severe consequences including infertility, increased HIV risk and chronic pain.
Key findings
• Chlamydia

1,598,354 reported cases in 2016; 497.3 per 100,000 people

Young women aged 15-24 account for almost half of all reported cases and face the most severe consequences of untreated infection

• Syphilis (primary and secondary)

27,814 reported cases in 2016; 8.7 per 100,000 people

While gay and bisexual men account for the majority of cases, there was a troubling 36 percent increase in rates of syphilis among women, which has led to increases in syphilis among newborns (congenital syphilis)

• Gonorrhea

468,514 reported cases in 2016; 145.8 per 100,000 people

Rates of gonorrhea increased about 22 percent among men

— David Taffet