CDC estimates 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have a Sexually Transmitted Infection

New data published by the CDC estimate that on any given day in 2018, 1 in 5 people in the U.S. had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The analyses, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases external icon, show the burden of diagnosed and undiagnosed STIs in the U.S. and the estimated medical costs associated with STIs.  It is estimated there were nearly 68 million STIs on any given day in 2018 (prevalent STIs), 26 million newly acquired STIs in 2018 (incident STIs), nearly one in two incident STIs were acquired by people aged 15 to 24 years old, and nearly $16 billion in direct lifetime medical costs resulting from STIs acquired in 2018.  “The burden of STIs is staggering,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “At a time when STIs are at an all-time high, they have fallen out of the national conversation. Yet, STIs are a preventable and treatable national health threat with substantial personal and economic impact. There is an urgent need to reverse the trend of increasing STIs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected many STI prevention services.”  STIs can have serious health consequences. People with these infections do not always experience disease symptoms, but, if left untreated, some STIs can increase the risk of HIV infection, or can cause chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and/or severe pregnancy and newborn complications.  STIs cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars annually.  HIV and HPV infections acquired in 2018 were the costliest STIs in the new CDC analysis, as medical costs for these infections include lifetime treatment for people with HIV and treatment for HPV-related cancers. Other reportable STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, have substantial medical costs as well.  “Proven STI prevention – at all levels – is a cornerstone of protecting America’s health, economic security, and wellness,” said Raul Romaguera, acting director for CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “There are significant human and financial costs associated with these infections, and we know from other studies that cuts in STI prevention efforts result in higher costs down the road. Preventing STIs could save billions in medical costs, but more importantly, prevention would improve the health and lives of millions of people.”