A new report found the rates of STDs are increasing rapidly among U.
S. adults over the age of 40.
From 2016 to 2017, the rates of chlamydia increased among middle-aged people while syphilis cases nearly doubled.
The results are in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that also found STDs hit a record high in 2017.
According to reports, around 2.3 million Americans were diagnosed, which is 200,000 more than in 2016.
The team from Health Testing Centers said the results show that access to preventive services and more education need to be made nationwide to reduce the alarming numbers.
For the study, researchers looked at data from the CDC’s 2017 STD surveillance report. It was found that over the last 76 years, the cases of STDs in the United States increased by 248% – from 680,000 to 2.3 million.
Cases of chlamydia increased by 6.9 percent in 2017, gonorrhea increased by 18.6 percent, and syphilis increased by 15.3 percent from the previous year.
Meg Piedmont, an account manager who works on behalf of Health Testing Centers, said to Daily Mail: “Chlamydia has had a sharp increase from the ’80s.
“Gonorrhea still had the biggest percentage increase, but they’re starting to catch up to each other.”
Even though it was found that rates of STD cases are rising overall, some states contracted them more than others.
For chlamydia, Alaska had the highest rate with almost 800 people diagnosed per 100,000 residents. Mississippi had the highest rate for gonorrhea, with 310 cases per 100,000 people. Louisiana has 61 cases of syphilis per 100,000 residents.
Director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, Dr. Gail Bolan, said in a press release: “To protect every baby, we have to start by protecting every mother.
“Early testing and prompt treatment to cure any infections are critical first steps, but too many women are falling through the cracks of the system.”
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