On Wednesday in Washington, D.C., NCSD hosted a congressional briefing with an expert panel of leaders in the STD field to sound an alarm about skyrocketing STD rates and educate members of Congress and their staff, national partners, and the public about this growing threat. Over 25 congressional offices attended the congressional briefing, and the panel was joined with comments by Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island and a representative from Senator Cassidy’s of Louisiana’s office. Leaders in the STD field gave presentations and answered questions from the moderator, Michelle L. Allen, NCSD’s Board Chair, and the audience of congressional staff members.

In recent years, STD rates have increased in the United States with syphilis being the most prevalent it has been in 25 years. According to Dr. Gail Bolan, director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, primary and secondary syphilis cases have increased by 390 percent since 2001. Both Dr. Judith Wasserheit, chair of the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Dr. Vanchiere, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, stated that the rise in congenital syphilis is a “canary in the coal mine” serving as a warning for growing STD epidemics that the public health system is ill-prepared to handle. Additionally, Dr. Bolan reported that gonorrhea cases increased by 17 percent from 2016 to 2017 according to preliminary data. The CDC estimates over 800,000 people are infected with gonorrhea each year. Since 2015, there is a nearly 5 percent increase in reported cases of chlamydia.

The rise in STD rates is occurring at a time where funding for STDs is inadequate to meet the need. STD funding has seen a 40 percent decrease in purchasing power since 2003 and STDs costs the U.S. healthcare system at least $8 billion per year.

While these rising rates and costs of the STDs painted a worrisome picture, the panel of experts offered solutions to address these troublesome trends. They discussed a need for funding and educational efforts to make young people and providers more comfortable with having a conversation about sex and STD testing.

Also, promoting cost-effective and evidence-based STD prevention and care and enhancing STD surveillance to assess risk factors and trends was stressed. By enhancing surveillance, the panel felt providers could more successfully detect outbreaks and the emergence of antibiotic resistant STDs.

The interplay of STDs and the opioid epidemic was highlighted by Dr. Philip Chan, an HIV/AIDS physician at Brown University and the medical director of Rhode Island Department of Health. Dr. Chan noted, “Rising STD rates intersect with substance use and mental health.”

The panel called on the STD field’s partners in public health and the HIV field to help address the rising rates of STDs. “We can’t succeed in addressing HIV without also tackling STDs,” said Dr. Wasserheit.

The overarching theme throughout the briefing was the emphasis on STD rate reduction being a community effort. Dr. Bolan said, “We have to have a village, a community to help us do this.” The panel was clear that the STD field has the tools to reduce the STD rates, but it cannot do it alone. Addressing these high and rising STD rates will require partnerships in Congress, the educational system, public health, and allies in HIV prevention.