Do You Have an STD? You’re Not the Only One

By Chris Iliades, MD
Reviewed by Kacy Church, MD

1 / 9 The Number of New STD Cases Is at a Record High

According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise for the third year in a row — and are now at a record high. From 2015 to 2016, there was a 4.7 percent increase in cases of chlamydia, an 18.5 percent increases in cases of gonorrhea, and a 27.6 percent increase in cases of syphilis, with half of these cases affecting those between ages 15 and 24.

What’s behind these numbers reported by the CDC? “One of the major reasons is that we continue to see increased rates of infection among men who have sex with men, and there does seem to be, with the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylactic [PrEP] medication, decreased condom use in that population,” says Timothy Wilkin, MD, associate professor of infectious disease at Cornell Weill Medicine in New York City.

A majority of the cases of syphilis, the CDC found, occurred in men who have sex with men — men who self-report that they’re gay, bisexual, or have one or more male sex partners. Gonorrhea is also on the rise in this population.

The rates of chlamydia, according to the CDC, are highest among teenage girls and young women, and it could be due to a lack of access to screening. The CDC notes that more than half of state and local STD programs have had their budgets cut over the last few years, and that lack of funding may make it harder to educate and test people. So it’s important to get regular screening exams if you’re sexually active, especially because the symptoms for some STDs are often silent.

If you do have symptoms, you may notice soreness, discharge, itching, and burning pain when passing urine. If you notice any of these, it's important to see your doctor: if left untreated, these can lead to more serious health conditions. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, for instance, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, or even infertility, in women.

But, says Dr. Wilkin, “most infections are very treatable.” A short course of antibiotics is usually all that’s needed. And make sure, he adds, to get regular rescreenings after the initial infection clears up.

Read on to find out what the signs and symptoms are for eight common sexually transmitted diseases.

Additional reporting by Carlene Bauer.

Source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/stds-photos/the-warning-signs-of-stds.aspx