Provisional 2024 STI Surveillance Data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a mixed bag of news regarding progress in the ongoing sexually transmitted infections (STI) epidemic.
First the good news: The combined total number of cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis declined in 2024, down 9% from 2023 and for a third consecutive year, according to the new national data.
“However, state and regional data will not be available until 2026,” points out Ted Rosen, MD, a Professor of Dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Dermatology Digest.
That said, there were more than 2.2 million reported STIs in 2024, and compared to a decade ago, overall cases are 13% higher.
What’s more, cases of newborn syphilis increased for the 12th consecutive year in 2024, with nearly 4,000 cases reported. Cases of newborn syphilis were up nearly 700% since 2015, when just 495 cases were reported. “It should be noted that several states have consistently demonstrated the largest number of congenital syphilis cases. When more granular data is available, it will be interesting to see if these same areas remain primary pockets of this dreaded disorder,” Dr. Rosen notes.
Other key findings:
- Chlamydia cases declined for the second year in a row, down 8% since 2023.
- Gonorrhea cases declined for the third year in a row, down 10% since 2023.
- Primary and secondary syphilis cases declined for the second year in row, down 22% since 2023.
“While the STI epidemic may be turning a corner, we must accelerate progress and stop its most tragic consequences,” says Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD, Director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “About 1 in 5 people in the United States have an STI, affecting millions of Americans and thousands of babies each year. We need to continue our prevention efforts wholeheartedly at federal, state, and local levels.”
“The latest CDC data is a hopeful sign that the nation is making progress on an out-of-control STI epidemic, but we have far more work to do before Americans can feel sufficiently protected,” says Elizabeth Finley, Interim Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), in a news release.
“The continued rise in congenital syphilis is a distressing indication that we are not doing enough to protect pregnant women and newborns from the deadly and preventable consequences of syphilis transmission during pregnancy.”
She continues, “The CDC data shows us that progress is possible, and we are encouraged that the Trump administration and Congress have included STI prevention in their vision for America’s public health. We must coordinate right now to fight the resurgence of congenital syphilis – a disease that had once been almost completely eliminated in America.”
“We call on the Trump administration to make sure states and cities can win this fight by giving them the resources, information, effective workforce, and modernized systems they need to protect every American, and particularly our most vulnerable infants. A coordinated effort can continue this new progress on the nation’s STI epidemic and turn the tide on congenital syphilis so we can stop mother-to-child syphilis transmission once and for all.”
The CDC expects the 2024 STI data to be finalized in 2026. Once finalized, case counts will likely change slightly but CDC does not anticipate substantial changes to rates and national trends provided in this provisional report. “Nonetheless, more detailed information should help guide where targeted awareness and educational programs could be most beneficial,” Dr. Rosen says.
