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Media for Medical/Getty Images(ATLANTA) — More Americans are contracting certain sexually transmitted diseases, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chlamydia is the most common STD, with cases rising 4.7 percent from 2015-16. The increase was attributed in part to more sensitive screening techniques.
Gonorrhea and syphilis saw increases as well.
After decades of decline, the rate of STD cases in the country has seen an uptick in recent years. The report cited spotty access to health care and a “deteriorating public health infrastructure” as causes for the turnaround.
The CDC estimates that there are 20 million new STDs per year in the United States. Approximately half of those cases are young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
It is estimated that there are 110 million STD infections at any given time in the United States.
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