CDC: Sexually transmitted diseases at record high

The combined number of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases reached a record high in 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week. Primary and secondary syphilis cases grew 19% to nearly 24,000, including a 6% increase among newborns, CDC said. Gonorrhea cases grew 13% to nearly 400,000, and chlamydia cases grew 6% to more than 1.5 million. “Turning the STD epidemics around requires bolstering prevention efforts and addressing new challenges,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “But the payoff is substantial in terms of improving health, reducing disparities and saving billions of dollars.”