STDs in the United States

 

Despite major efforts at raising awareness and education, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a problem in the United States. The most common types of STDs in the United States include the following:

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is an STD caused by a bacterium and is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States. In 2011, 1,412,791 cases of Chlamydia were reported to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from the fifty states as well as the District of Columbia. However, it is estimated that 2.86 infections occur annually. Chlamydia can affect both men and women and can cause serious and permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive organs.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is sexually transmitted bacterial infection that tends to attack the mucous membranes of the body. It is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 820,000 people in the United States contract Gonorrhea every year. Gonorrhea is one of the leading causes of female infertility.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a specific bacterium. The CDC estimates that annually, 55,400 people in the United States contract Syphilis. If not adequately treated, Syphilis can cause long-term complications and death.
Chancroid
Chancroid is a venereal infection that causes ulceration of the lymph nodes in the groin.
HPV
HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection that can affect the genital areas of both men and women. There are more than 40 different types of HPV, some of which can cause genital warts and cervical cancer.
Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes is an STD caused by the Herpes Simplex Viruses (Types 1 and 2). According to the CDC, approximately 776,000 people in the United States contract Genital Herpes annually.
Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is an STD that is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas Vaginalis. The CDC estimates that 3.7 million people in the United States currently have this type of infection. Pregnant women with this type of STD are more at risk for having a preterm delivery.

For more information about the most common STDs in the United States and how to prevent becoming infected, talk to your OBGYN today.

Posted on behalf of Dr. Carlos Alarcon, Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates, P.A.