### CDC Reports Mixed Trends for STIs in the U.S. as New York and Long Island Face Challenges

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new data suggesting a possible slowdown in the nationwide epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although more than 2.4 million STIs were reported in 2023, the number of gonorrhea cases has decreased for the second consecutive year, and syphilis rates have only increased by 1% after several years of double-digit growth.

Dr. Bradley Stoner, director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, highlighted this as the first significant indication of improvement in years. However, Stoner emphasized that continued efforts are necessary to sustain this trend.

For New York State, syphilis cases have dropped to 12,393 in 2023, or 63.3 per 100,000 people—the lowest in three years. While this decrease is promising, the number of congenital syphilis cases has risen to 67 in 2023 from 51 in 2022 and 41 in 2021. This type of syphilis can be fatal for infants if untreated.

On Long Island, the number of early syphilis diagnoses reached 731 in 2022, a sixfold increase compared to 2011. Despite the slight national drop in gonorrhea cases, the CDC reported 46,102 cases statewide, while chlamydia cases numbered 109,284, both showing a steady rise over recent decades.

State Department of Health and local experts like Dr. Joseph McGowan from Northwell Health noted that STI rates are still significantly high, with no clear evidence of a decline on Long Island. Similarly, Jeffrey Reynolds, president and CEO of the Family & Children's Association, observed a continued increase in infections.

Efforts to combat STIs in New York have seen advancements. Nassau County introduced third-trimester syphilis screenings for pregnant individuals and has also adopted CDC guidelines for Doxycycline prescriptions, which have enhanced syphilis detection and prevention. Suffolk County has initiated a Congenital Syphilis Prevention Initiative to educate clinicians working with at-risk, childbearing-age women.

Dr. Brian Harper from the New York Institute of Technology acknowledged that some of the CDC data indicates positive trends, particularly for syphilis. He stressed the importance of continued federal funding, including the $1.4 billion appropriated by Congress in fiscal year 2023 for STI and contagious disease prevention, to support local health efforts.

Despite some signs of progress, the STI numbers in the U.S. remain high, and experts argue that sustained, grassroots-level efforts are crucial to curb the epidemic effectively.