Latest STI Data Emphasizes Urgent Need to Invest in Lifesaving Congenital Syphilis Programs 

Newly released data shows full impact of Congressional investments in STI Prevention

EMBARGOED UNTIL: November 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM ET  
Contact: Elizabeth Finley, efinley@ncsddc.org, (919) 749-7309 

Washington, DC – On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data detailing for 2023 the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. While the data shows a continuing epidemic of STIs in America, there are areas of significant improvement. Most notably, congenital syphilis numbers that have climbed by alarming double-digit percentages in recent years slowed to a 1% increase between 2022 and 2023 while primary and secondary syphilis declined by 10%. Gonorrhea numbers slipped for a second year in a row, and chlamydia numbers remained stable. Despite these gains, Americans continue to experience dramatically more STI rates than in past decades. David C. Harvey, Executive Director of NCSD, issued the following statement: 

“The latest CDC data on America’s STI epidemics is evidence of the wisdom of Congress’s investment in STI prevention. Among other wins, the new 2023 data shows that states, cities and the territories were able to dramatically slow rapidly rising syphilis numbers.” 

“Last year, the nation faced a dangerous shortage of penicillin, the drug used to treat syphilis in pregnant women and babies – a shortage that would have spiked miscarriages and infant deaths without rapid and coordinated efforts by STI prevention programs nationwide.  At the same time, programs moved quickly to expand access to doxy PEP, the latest prevention innovation, to lower STI infections in men.” 

“We applaud the progress being made to reduce STIs in America and are cautiously optimistic, but we are concerned these advances will not continue until money is restored to STI prevention that was reduced as part of debt ceiling legislation enacted around the same time as STI numbers started to come down. We call upon the new Trump administration and Congress to invest in STI prevention programs in states, cities and territories that have a proven track record of success,” says David C. Harvey, Executive Director of NCSD. 

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