STD cases continue to rise in the United States during the epidemic

U.S. officials warned Tuesday that the number of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States will continue to rise by 2020 during the Kovid-19 pandemic.

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According to Jonathan Mermin, author of a report for the American Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Kovid-19 crisis has set a high trend that has been observed for over a decade against the backdrop of declining public funding.

Compared to 2019, the incidence of syphilis (primary and secondary stages) along with gonorrhea increased by 10% and 7%, respectively.

Cases of syphilis in newborns also known as congenital syphilis (with pollution during pregnancy) have also increased: 15% compared to 2019 and 235% from 2016.

Chlamydia cases have decreased by 13% compared to 2019, but in the opinion of experts, these data do not show a real decline, knowing that the disease is often asymptomatic and detected during routine screenings – a severe decline at the beginning of the epidemic. .

A total of 2.4 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in 2020.

Kovid-19 occurred “at a very critical time for screening for sexually transmitted infections” (STIs), Mr Mermin explained at a news conference. “We already have the hardest and hardest public health infrastructure. Many neighborhoods in the United States do not have specialized STI care centers. This has further exacerbated the growing trends.”

The consequences of congenital syphilis are extremely serious, he stressed. These include miscarriages, childbirths and lifelong physical and mental health issues.

Cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) initially decreased during the early months of 2020, when lockdowns were in effect, but then increased significantly.

Factors contributing to the initial decline in the number of declared cases include a decrease in health consultation and hence screenings, but also a reassignment of staff specializing in STDs for epidemic management or a lack of testing.

Half of STD cases are in people between the ages of 16 and 24. Minorities (blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans) were unequally affected. And 42% of primary and secondary syphilis cases were diagnosed in homosexual or bisexual men.

Public funding for local clinics dedicated to these issues has been declining for many years. Even the most affected states, such as Mississippi, are often underdeveloped economically.