At a glance
Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD, and Division of STD Prevention Director, highlights important findings from the 2023 STI Surveillance Report and the implications for broader STI prevention.
CDC Releases 2023 STI Surveillance Report
Dear Colleagues,
Today, CDC released Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Surveillance, 2023. After several years of increases, the data suggest that the STI epidemic may be slowing. We still have much more work to do, but the 2023 data are promising in several aspects:
- Gonorrhea dropped for a second year—declining 7% from 2022 and falling below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
- Overall, syphilis increased by only 1% after years of double-digit increases.
- Primary and secondary syphilis cases, the most infectious stages of syphilis, went down 10%—the first substantial decline in more than two decades. These cases also dropped 13% among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men for the first time since CDC began reporting national trends among this group in the mid-2000s.
- Increases in congenital syphilis cases appear to be slowing in some areas—with a 3% increase over 2022 nationally, compared to 30% annual increases in prior years.
These signs of hope hint at what's possible when the nation prioritizes – and invests in – STI prevention. The data arrive on the heels of important innovations such as doxy PEP to prevent bacterial STIs and self-tests (or at-home tests); a nationally coordinated response to the U.S. syphilis epidemic spearheaded by the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Task Force; and the unprecedented - but temporary - infusion of funding into health department disease intervention specialist programs.
Despite these glimpses of hope, we still have a long way to go. There were more than 2.4 million STIs reported across the country last year; that's a million more than 20 years ago. Congenital syphilis, including 279 stillbirths and infant deaths, remains unacceptably high. And while the STI epidemic is far-reaching, some groups and geographic areas continue to be more severely affected.
I count myself lucky to bear witness to the incredible dedication of the people in this field. Your boundless passion for people, for equity and inclusion, and good sexual health promotion for all is inspiring. I see the countless hours spent, the ups and downs, and the calls to do more with less. So, I don't say this lightly when I humbly ask each of you to help us keep the momentum and progress going. Now is the time to keep the pressure on – and thank you for the good work you do every day.
Thank you for your commitment to STI prevention.
/Bradley Stoner/
Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD
Director, Division of STD Prevention
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention