Nearly 1 in 5 people have a sexually transmitted infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In an article published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, CDC researchers found that 67.6 million people had an STI at any point in 2018. Additionally, 26.2 million newly acquired infections occurred in 2018.
“The burden of STIs is staggering,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the 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.”
The research estimated that the healthcare costs for treating STIs was $16 billion. That excludes other costs related to STIs, such as lost productivity and efforts at STI prevention.
Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus comprised the bulk of STI, accounting for nearly 98% of total STIs and 93% of newly acquired STIs. People aged 15-24 accounted for nearly 19% of total STIs and 45% of all newly acquired ones.
