(diseases hit new highs)
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. infections from three sexually transmitted diseases have risen for the fifth consecutive year.
More than 1.7 million cases of chlamydia (kluh-MID’-ee-uh) were reported last year. The infection rate rose 3% from 2017.
It’s the most ever reported in a year, though the trend is mainly attributed to increased testing.
About 580,000 gonorrhea (gah-nuh-REE’-uh) cases were reported. That’s the highest number since 1991. The rate rose 5%. Scientists worry antibiotic resistance may be a factor.
And the syphilis rate rose 15%. About 35,000 cases of the most contagious forms of the disease were reported — also the most since 1991.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the numbers Tuesday.
The increases coincided with public health funding cuts and clinic closures.
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