Have you been tested? STDs spreading in Dayton, across U.S.

Sept. 27--The spread of sexually transmitted diseases increased in 2016 locally and across the United States.

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report 2016, released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marks the third year of overall increasing rates for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. The majority of these new diagnoses -- 1.6 million -- were cases of chlamydia.

There were also 470,000 gonorrhea cases and almost 28,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis nationwide -- the most infectious stages of the disease.

"Increases in STDs are a clear warning of a growing threat," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. "STDs are a persistent enemy, growing in number, and outpacing our ability to respond."

In Montgomery County, cases of some STDs have also risen in the past year. In 2015, there were 3,103 cases of Chlamydia reported in the county. Cases of Chlamydia increased to 3,502 in the county last year. Cases of Gonorrhea also increased from 1,069 in 2015 to 1,417 in 2016. The county also saw an increase in cases of Syphilis, but it was not a dramatic rise, said Dan Suffoletto, spokesman for Public Health -- Dayton & Montgomery County.

"We're also working to prevent STDs," Suffoletto said. "We want to educate people about the need to get tested, because people may have an STD and they may not realize they have it."

In Ohio, 60,496 cases of chlamydia were reported in 2016 --an increase from 53,141 cases reported in 2012. There 20,487 cases of gonorrhea in 2016, also an increase from 16,493 cases reported in 2012.

Nationally, young women are most likely to contract chlamydia, and are diagnosed with nearly half of all diagnosed infections.

Syphilis rates increased by nearly 18 percent overall from 2015 to 2016. The majority of these cases occur among men -- especially gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. There was a 36 percent increase in rates of syphilis among women, and a 28 percent increase in syphilis among newborns -- congenital syphilis -- during this period.

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