Why are sexually transmitted infections on the rise in the US?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the national rate of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis infections.

Rates of these bacterial STIs were already rising in the six years preceding the pandemic.

Syphilis case rates surged more sharply in the same time period, to their highest rate in three decades.

A recent study found that, between 2012 and 2017, rates of condomless sex have increased among men who have sex with men.

This shift in behavior may be partially tied to the increased use of PrEP, which guards against HIV but not other STIs.

Strengthening efforts to screen for STIs, as well as congenital syphilis, through increased funding could help.