STD epidemic slows as new syphilis and gonorrhea cases fall in US
STD epidemic slows as new syphilis and gonorrhea cases fall in US
There's some good news about sexually-transmitted diseases in newly released U.S. health data. The syphilis epidemic slowed dramatically last year.
Summary
U.S. rates of syphilis and gonorrhea fell in 2022, marking significant progress in curbing sexually transmitted diseases after years of increases.
Syphilis cases in their most infectious stages dropped 10%, including a 13% decline among gay and bisexual men.
Experts attribute improvements to increased use of doxycycline as a “morning-after pill” for STDs, expanded testing and contact tracing, and a heightened focus on STD prevention.
However, syphilis cases in newborns rose, indicating gaps in prenatal testing. Funding cuts to STD prevention programs may challenge future progress.
You can expect this to get much worse next year. Planned Parenthood is one of the most important institutions in the fight against venereal diseases in this country and the Republicans hate it with a passion that burns like herpes.
When Mike Pence took over Indiana he managed to shoot it to the top of the chart in syphilis case diagnosis within a given ZIP code.