5 Questions on US Trends in STDs
Combined cases of 3 sexually transmitted diseases reached an all-time high in the US in 2018. Which 3? It's a test of your STD IQ.
The CDC's Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2018 report offers critical insight into the scope, distribution, and trends in diagnoses. These 5 questions and the answers offer a brief primer.
1. In 2018, which of the above was the most common STD in the US?
Answer: D. Chlamydia. In 2018, chlamydia was the most common notifiable condition in the US at >1.7 million cases; nearly 2/3 of chlamydia infections occurred among individuals aged 15-24 years. Rates among women aged 15-24 yrs increased by 11.8% and among men the same age by 37.8% between 2014-2018.
2. How did rates of congential syphilis in the US change between 2014 and 2018?
Answer: A. Tripled. Since 2014, rates of congenital syphilis have tripled, going from 462 cases in 2014 to 1306 cases in 2018, a trend that mirrors the rise in syphilis infection among reproductive age women - an increase of 172.2% between 2014 and 2018.
3. Approximately what percentage of gonococcal isolates are considered susceptible to antimicrobials?
Answer: B. ~50%. As of 2018, 49% of gonococcal isolates were considered susceptible to penicillin, tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, ceftriaxone, cefixime and azithromycin. About 15% of isolates were resistant to 2 antimicrobials, while 4.1% were resistant to 3 antimicrobials.
4. Which racial/ethnic group has the highest reported rates of primary and secondary syphilis?
Answer: A. Blacks. Rates of primary & secondary syphilis are highest among blacks-34.7% of cases in 2018. Rates of primary & secondary syphilis were 4.7x higher in blacks vs whites, and were similarly high in black women and men and across all regions of the US.
5. Which STD is found at the highest rate among HIV-positive men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM)?
Answer: B. Gonorrhea. Rates of gonorrhea were highest (12.7%) among HIV-positive MSM seen at STD clinics in the US in 2018. Rates of chlamydia were 6.1%, while rates of primary & secondary syphilis were 3.4%.
Combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018. Test your STD IQ with 5 more questions drawn from the latest CDC report.
