Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. - statistics & facts
The CDC estimates that on any given day around one in five people in the United States have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), also known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and venereal diseases (VD). In 2023, there were more than 2.4 million STIs reported in the United States with over 1.6 million cases of chlamydia, almost 600,000 cases of gonorrhea, and 209,000 cases of syphilis. However, according to the CDC the most common STI in the United States is HPV. In most HPV cases those infected do not show any symptoms which is one reason why the virus has become so widespread. Although HPV is usually harmless it can cause certain cancers, and for this reason the CDC recommends the HPV vaccination to preteens and everyone through the age of 26 years.
Have rates of STIs risen in the United States?
Despite the dangers of STDs being more well known and testing and contraception, for the most part, widely accessible in the United States, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, have all risen in recent years, although there are signs these rates are stabilizing. For example, the rate of chlamydia reached it's highest level in over thirty years in 2019 with 551 cases per 100,000 population. This rate dropped slightly in the following years, but was still at around 492 cases per 100,000 in 2023. Similarly, in 2021 rates of gonorrhea reached their highest level since the 1980s with 214 cases per 100,000 population. In 2023, the rate of gonorrhea dropped to around 180 cases per 100,000 population, although this was still one of the highest rates recorded since 1990. Rates of syphilis have also risen since the 1990s and actually reached a peak in 2023 with 62.5 new cases per 100,000 population. The reasons for these rises in recent years are complicated and involve various factors including a reduced focus on sexual health leading to cuts in funding for awareness, prevention and treatment programs, changes in sexual behavior, and a misunderstanding of the risks of STIs.Treatment and prevention
Without treatment STIs can develop into serious health problems so it is important to regularly get tested if you are sexually active or think you may have an STI. Many STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be treated with antibiotics, while others, such as genital herpes and HPV, do not have cures, but medicines to treat symptoms. For this reason, it is best to prevent contracting an STI by practicing safe sex, or in the case of HPV, receiving a vaccination. However, rates of condom use in the United States are relatively low and have decreased among high school students in recent years. In 2023, only 52 percent of U.S. high school students reported using a condom during their last sexual intercourse, compared to 59 percent in 2013. Furthermore, a survey from 2024 found that just a quarter of adult women reported using a condom in the past year.
