CDC estimates that one in five people in the US has a sexually transmitted infection

The CDC estimates that on any given day in 2018, one in five people in the United States had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The analyzes, published in the journal Sexually transmitted diseases, show the burden of diagnosed and undiagnosed STIs in the United States and the estimated medical costs associated with STIs.

It is estimated that there were nearly 68 million STIs every day in 2018, as well as 26 million newly acquired STIs in the same year. Research has found that nearly one in two incident STIs are contracted by people between the ages of 15 and 24.

Research has further shown that over a lifetime, these infections would result in medical costs of nearly $ 16 billion.

“The burden of STIs is enormous,” said Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV / AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and Tuberculosis Prevention. “At a time when STIs are at an all time high, they have left the national debate. Yet STIs constitute a preventable and treatable national health threat with considerable personal and economic impact. There is an urgent need to reverse the trend of the increase in STIs, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected many STI prevention services. “

STIs can have serious health consequences. People with these infections do not always have symptoms of the disease, but if left untreated some STIs can increase the risk of HIV infection, or can cause chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and / or severe pregnancy and neonatal complications.

STIs cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars annually

HIV and HPV infections acquired in 2018 were the costliest STIs in the CDC’s new analysis, as the medical costs of these infections include lifelong treatment of people living with HIV and treatment of HPV-related cancers. Other reportable STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, also come with significant medical costs.

Of the estimated $ 16 billion in lifelong medical costs associated with acquired STIs in 2018:

Most ($ 13.7 billion) of all costs were attributed to sexually acquired HIV infections

$ 755 million in costs have been attributed to HPV infections

Over $ 1 billion in costs have been attributed to chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis combined

Almost 75% of the $ 2.2 billion in medical costs of non-HIV-related STIs were among women

The total cost of STIs far exceeds the medical cost burden estimated in this study, which did not include costs associated with lost productivity, other non-medical costs, and prevention of STIs.

“Proven prevention of STIs – at all levels – is the cornerstone of protecting the health, economic security and well-being of the United States,” said Raul Romaguera, Acting Director of the Division of CDC STD prevention. “These infections have significant human and financial costs, and we know from other studies that reducing efforts to prevent STIs will result in higher costs in the future.” Prevention of STIs could save billions of dollars in medical costs, but more importantly, prevention would improve the health and lives of millions of people. “

Focusing STI prevention on those hardest hit and the need for better data

COVID-19 has highlighted the underlying effects of systemic health and social inequalities that place minority racial and ethnic groups and other populations at increased risk of infection. Likewise, there is a continuing disproportionate burden of STIs among certain racial and ethnic groups; among young people aged 15 to 24 who accounted for almost half of all new STIs in 2018; and among women, who represent a disproportionate burden of the serious consequences of STIs and medical costs.

The CDC’s new estimates are essential to better understand the scope of STIs in the United States. However, the results also highlight gaps in the scientific literature and the continued need for more data. This includes the need for population-based STI screening estimates to provide a better picture of diagnosed and undiagnosed STIs in disproportionately affected groups, including some racial / ethnic minority groups and lesbian, gay, lesbian, gay, and lesbian people. bisexual, transgender or homosexual / questioning LGBTQ.

Innovative strategies essential to tackle the STI epidemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates racial and ethnic disparities in health, strains public health infrastructure and creates additional challenges for the delivery of health services, new strategies to improve health access to quality sexual health care is essential. The strategies used to overcome the obstacles associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to help reverse the increase in STIs.

Examples include:

Express STI clinics that allow walk-in STI screening and treatment without a full clinical exam.

Partnerships with pharmacies and retail health clinics, which can provide new points of access to STI services, such as on-site testing and treatment.

Telehealth / telemedicine, which can ensure access to health care providers, support self-testing or self-testing, and is particularly critical in rural areas.