Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
STD Rates Are Spiking And Experts Are Pointing Fingers At Budget Cuts, Dating Apps
There were more cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported in the United States last year than ever before, according to new federal data. Rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — three of the most common S.T.D.s — grew for the second consecutive year, with sharper increases in the West than other regions. And while all three diseases are treatable with antibiotics, most cases continue to go undiagnosed, potentially causing infertility and other problems. (Goodnough, 10/19)
When it comes to the fight against sexually transmitted diseases, US health officials appear to be losing ground.Rates of gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia infections — STDs that federal health officials actively track — all rose in 2015, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In two of the three cases, the increases were in the double digits. Syphilis cases increased by 19 percent, gonorrhea by nearly 13 percent, and chlamydia by nearly 6 percent compared with 2014. (Branswell, 10/19)
St. Louis again takes the title for the country’s highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, in a year of record high numbers nationwide. Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reached about 2 million reported cases nationwide in 2015, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. St. Louis city topped the list for chlamydia and gonorrhea cases per capita. The rankings are skewed partly because the city is mostly compared with counties in the data. If the entire metropolitan area is included, the St. Louis region ranks eighth for gonorrhea and 17th for chlamydia. (Bernhard, 10/20)
Rates of three common sexually transmitted diseases have risen to a record high level nationwide, and St. Louis continues to rank high among cities, according to federal data released Wednesday. The St. Louis region recorded 14,961 cases of chlamydia in 2015, the 17th highest per-capita rate in the country. Rates of syphyllis stayed relatively steady at just over 400 cases in the metro area. The city of St. Louis, however, measured the highest rate of both chlamydia and gonorrhea among counties and independent cities. (Bouscaren, 10/19)
