What’s Gone Up Must Come Down
STI Awareness Week falls annually during the second full week of April, as declared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and this year is from April 14-20. With rising infection rates, especially among LGBTQ+ folks, learning more about prevention, testing, and treatment—as well as ending stigma—could hardly be more urgent. When we protect ourselves, we protect our communities.
Rates of STIs have been rising rapidly in the years post-pandemic. Syphilis, for example, was nearly eradicated by the year 2000 in the US, but since has been surging. In fact, today, rates are the highest they have been since the 1950s, according to a 2024 CDC report.
But it’s not just syphilis which is spreading more. When looking at trends over the last five years, chlamydia and gonorrhea infections are also climbing. A 2018 CDC report mentions that at least 20 percent of all US citizens have an STI, though this number is likely far higher. Since 2021, half of new infections have been among people aged 15-24.
How did we get here? While the reasons are many and complex, a few include: desire to connect after long periods of isolation during the pandemic, expanded networks of sexual partners that come from online dating networks, and the perception that STIs are no longer a threat.
Another contributing factor: Sex education throughout the US is inconsistent, incomplete, and, in some places, non-existent. Moreover, where resources may once have existed, they are now disappearing due to lack of funding and/or local legislation, preventing people from receiving adequate health education and health care.
LGBTQ+ individuals may be at higher risk for STIs, and lack of sex education is one factor. Traditional sex education, when it is available, often focuses almost exclusively on heterosexual relationships. Until all sex ed curricula and STI awareness campaigns address the unique needs and concerns of the queer community, we need to do a little bit extra to make sure we are equipped to make informed decisions about our health.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are also more likely to face stigma and discrimination when seeking healthcare services, which can discourage folks from getting tested or treated for STIs in the first place.
Of course, these are two just reasons STIs affect LGBTQ+ communities more. But, the impact of these factors and others has caused dramatic discrepancies in infection rates between LGBTQ+ subcommunities and their cisgendered heterosexual counterparts.
For example, though gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) only compose an estimated four percent of the male population in the US, they make up more than a third of syphilis cases (cdc.gov). The same group constituted approximately 70 percent of all new HIV infections in 2021, compared to 22 percent of new infections among heterosexuals, and eight percent from drug use (hiv.gov).
What can we do to protect ourselves and our communities?
Prevention is the cornerstone of maintaining optimum health, including your sexual health. Recent medical advances have made prevention against some STIs easier than ever.
Did you know that you can now get vaccinated for HPV? Nearly all sexually active adults have HPV; it is the most common STI in the US. Most who have HPV never show symptoms, and so infections are often disregarded as harmless, though complications can be serious and even lead to death. But with vaccines, maybe one day what’s now the most common STI could be virtually eliminated.
Another major advancement in prevention is PrEP, a once-daily pill that is 99 percent effective against preventing HIV transmission. While PrEP has been available in the US for years, many still don’t know about it or don’t think they can get it easily. However, under the Affordable Care Act, PrEP must be free for almost everyone with health insurance. Services like mistr can even provide discrete, at-home testing and medication delivery to make taking PrEP easier than ever.
Testing is also important to living your best life. Every sexually active adult should get tested at least annually. Many services are available in communities across the US to help you get the testing you need. A quick Google search can help you find nearby testing services, many of which are free.
Treatment is the last component to protecting yourself and your community against the further spread of STIs. Treatment has also changed dramatically in recent years. For instance, those living with HIV can now take a single daily pill, compared to what was an average of 13 pills per day for people with HIV 25 years ago, according to a study published In the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Learning about your body and your health is important—and actually, pretty interesting and fun! STI Awareness Week reminds us to educate ourselves so that we can discover the latest information to optimize our own health, build healthier communities, and destigmatize the topic of STIs. ▼
Stephen Raskauskas is a Sussex County native who has produced content for radio, TV, digital, and print.