Washington, DC, November 12, 2024 - Today, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) called for an increase in sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment to further the nation’s goals of reducing these preventable infections. This is in response to new data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its annual surveillance report (2023 STI Surveillance Report), which showed encouraging signs of a slowing STI epidemic after years of alarming increases.
The nation’s more than 3,300 local health departments play a critical role in STI prevention, identification, and treatment. According to NACCHO’s Profile of Local Health Departments census, two-thirds provide clinical services related to STIs, while many others engage in community education and outreach to health professionals to ensure awareness of STIs. In addition, NACCHO has helped to support local health departments as they worked to conduct community engagement to develop syphilis reduction action plans, conduct syphilis awareness media campaigns, and build community partnerships with local pharmacies and jails to expand STI testing and treatment, among other activities.
CDC’s 2023 STI Surveillance Report shows that while there were more than 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia identified in the United States, there are promising signs. The report found a 7% decline in gonorrhea cases from 2022 and a 10% decline in primary and secondary syphilis cases, which is the first decline in more than two decades and includes a decline of 13% among gay and bisexual men. While congenital syphilis, which causes significant threats to the health of babies, increased 3%, this is far less than the 30% annual increases seen in prior years.
“We have seen the impact of reduced funding, attention, and services on STI rates over recent years,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, NACCHO Chief Executive Officer. “However, we know what is needed to reduce the impact of these infections and are starting to see the impact of increased attention in this space. CDC’s 2023 STI Surveillance report underscores the need to continue to prioritize STI prevention, testing, and treatment efforts. Addressing syphilis and congenital syphilis involves everyone from healthcare professionals to the public, and tailored strategies are needed to reverse the rising trend of STI cases. The report highlights the need for health departments to continue to prioritize immediate treatment, invest in robust public health systems, train the local health department workforce in STI services, and make STI services more accessible. Moreover, federal, state, and local governments need to prioritize STIs and invest in a robust public health infrastructure with a well-trained and well-compensated workforce to continue these promising developments.”
While the data are encouraging, reportable STIs are still 90% higher than 20 years ago, and congenital syphilis is seven times higher than a decade ago. Since 2019, syphilis has increased 61%, while congenital syphilis has increased 106%. STIs impact nearly every community across the United States, but deeply entrenched social and economic factors such as poverty and stigma create greater obstacles to quality healthcare services, including prenatal care. These factors lead to a disproportionate effect and worse outcomes for some groups and geographic areas, including American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino people, and gay and bisexual men.
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the country’s over 3,300 local health departments, supports local health departments’ initiatives to promote healthy living in the communities they serve. NACCHO provides cutting-edge, skill-building, professional resources, and programs crafted to optimize health equity, and support effective local public health practice and systems. NACCHO is committed to continuing to make positive strides in the advancement of public health and supports like-minded opportunities for partnerships. For more information, visit the NACCHO website at www.naccho.org.
