America’s STD explosion laid bare and the shocking number of people catching one every minute

Five Americans caught a sexually transmitted infection every minute last year as cases remained at a record high.

But the CDC says there are signs the STI epidemic is slowing, after spiking 90 percent in the last 20 years, calling new figures a ‘glimmer of hope.’

Official data released today showed there were 2.4million sexually transmitted infections in 2023, a two percent decline from 2022.

Jonathan Mermin, Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said: ‘After nearly two decades of STI increases, the tide is turning.

‘We must make the most of this moment — let’s further this momentum with creative innovation and further investment in STI prevention.’

A major driver of the rise has been a surge in syphilis over the past 20 years, especially among babies who catch it from their moms, which has alarmed doctors because it can be fatal for infants.

But after years of double-digit increases, cases rose by just one percent in 2023.

Meanwhile gonorrhea cases fell for a second year, declining seven percent from 2022 to below pre-pandemic levels. Chlamydia case rates remained stable.

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