CDC: Sex diseases cost $16B to treat each year
SAN FRANCISCO -- Sexually transmitted diseases cost $16 billion each year to treat in the United States, with 19.7 million infections diagnosed annually, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
People ages 15 to 24 account for half of the annual cases, according to reports issued Wednesday by the CDC. There are about 110 million total infections among U.S. men and women of all ages, the agency said, with the most common infection human papillomavirus, a virus linked to cancer.
Young people have borne a disproportionate burden of sexually transmitted diseases for as long as the Atlanta-based CDC has kept records, said Catherine Satterwhite, an author of one of the reports. They often don't have good insurance or difficulties accessing care, she said.
"Young women in particular are at greater risk," Satterwhite said.
The CDC reported data on eight sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes and HPV.
The data from 2008, the most recent comprehensive data available, isn't directly comparable with previous studies because of changes in the reporting methods. Some trends, including that of younger patients, persist, however.
All sexually transmitted diseases are preventable, many are curable and all are treatable, Satterwhite said. Getting people tested more appropriately, such as making sure more young women are screened for chlamydia and all sexually active adults are tested for HIV would help, she said.
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