STD Rates In United States Reach Record High.

When was your last test?  Not just for HIV but for everything?  We can go and get that rapid test at many testing sites for HIV, but is that enough?  Even if you wrap it and feel there's no way you'd catch something, we need to get tested for everything.

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There were more reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases last year than ever before in the United States, according to the latest STD surveillance report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Released on Wednesday, the annual report showed that the rates of those big three we worry about, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis — the three most commonly reported STDs in the nation — increased between 2014 and 2015, reaching an all-time high.
 

    Here is the part of CNN.com's post that mentions gay and bisexual men.

    Men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of new gonorrhea cases last year, and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea was found to possibly be higher among the group, the new report showed.

    Overall, young people and gay and bisexual men face the greatest risk of getting a STD, according to the new report. It's estimated that about half of the nearly 20 million new STD cases reported annually are among 15 to 24 year olds.

    Congenital syphilis, which occurs when the infection is transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby, increased by 6% between 2014 to 2015, and resulted in 487 reported cases last year.
     
    Additionally, there were 23,872 cases of primary and secondary syphilis last year, according to the report, and men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of new cases.
     
    "The health outcomes of syphilis — miscarriage, stillbirth, blindness or stroke — can be devastating," Dr. Gail Bolan, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention, said in a written statement (PDF).
     
    "The resurgence of congenital syphilis and the increasing impact of syphilis among gay and bisexual men makes it clear that many Americans are not getting the preventive services they need. Every pregnant woman should be tested for syphilis, and sexually active gay and bisexual men should be tested for syphilis at least once a year," she said. "To reverse the STD epidemic, we should all learn to talk more openly about STDs — with our partners, parents, and providers." – cnn.com
     
    All in all, the numbers of reported cases of just about everything is up.  Primary and secondary syphilis cases rose by 19%, gonorrhea cases rose by 12.8%, and chlamydia cases rose by 5.9%, from 2014. All three STDs are curable with antibiotics, but most infections go undiagnosed and untreated, according to the CDC.
     
     
    How often do you get tested for EVERYTHING? 
     
    Is it just every 6 months or so for HIV? 
     
    We and the specialists could recommend something, but what is your schedule?
     
    Here are some of the charts from the report.  Click on images for a larger view. 
     
     
     
     
     
    h/t:  CNN.com

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