Technical Notes

Suggested Citation

All material contained in this report is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without special permission; however, citation as to source is appreciated. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance 2022. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.

Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2022  presents trends in nationally notifiable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States through 2022. This annual publication is intended as a reference document for policy makers, program managers, health planners, researchers, and others who are concerned with the public health implications of these diseases. The figures and tables in this report supersede those in earlier publications of these data. The surveillance data in this report are based on case notification data provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and data collected through projects and programs that monitor STIs in various settings, including the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) and the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP). 

This report provides trends in nationally notifiable STIs for which there are federally funded control programs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, including congenital syphilis. It is important to note that these data reflect only a portion of STIs occurring in the US population. Over 30 pathogens can be sexually transmitted, including common STIs, such as herpes simplex virus, which causes genital herpes, and human papillomavirus, which can lead to genital warts and cervical cancer. Additionally, STIs are often asymptomatic and may not be diagnosed. Published estimates of the burden of STIs in the United States, including estimated prevalence, incidence, and cost, can be found in the April 2021 special issue of the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, available here: https://journals.lww.com/stdjournal/pages/collectiondetails.aspx?TopicalCollectionId=4 

Disruptions in STI-related prevention and care activities related to the US response to the COVID-19 pandemic had a pronounced impact on trends in STI surveillance data; therefore, trends for STI surveillance data collected during the pandemic and presented in Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2022 should be interpreted cautiously. For more information, please see Impact of COVID-19 on STIs.