At Long Last, the Surge in S.T.I.s May Be Leveling Off
After decades of unrelenting increases, rates of sexually transmitted infections in the United States are showing hints of a downturn.
Diagnoses of gonorrhea dipped in nearly all age groups last year, compared with 2022, and new cases of syphilis and chlamydia remained about the same, according to data released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The results are not yet cause for celebration. Overall, more than 2.4 million new S.T.I.s were diagnosed last year, about a million more than the figure 20 years ago.
Nearly 4,000 babies were diagnosed with congenital syphilis last year, and 279 of them were stillborn or died soon after. Still, experts said they were cautiously optimistic that a resurgent tide of infections was beginning to turn. “It’s been a long time since I have felt that way about the S.T.I.
