More than 1.7 million cases of chlamydia (kluh-MID’-ee-uh) were reported last year. The infection rate rose 3% from 2017. It’s the most ever reported in a year, though the trend is mainly attributed to increased testing. About 580,000 gonorrhea (gah-nuh-REE’-uh) cases were reported. That’s the highest number since 1991. The rate rose 5%. Scientists worry antibiotic resistance may be a factor. And the syphilis rate rose 15%. About 35,000 cases of the most contagious forms of the disease were reported — also the most since 1991. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the numbers Tuesday. The increases coincided with public health funding cuts and clinic closures.
3 sexually transmitted diseases hit new highs again in US.