Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been an ongoing public health concern for centuries. Despite their long history and readily available information about prevention and treatment, they continue to spread, especially among teenagers and young adults. Nearly half of all new cases in 2018 occurred in people ages 15 to 24, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 2.5 million new cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis alone in 2019.
STDs are easily transmittable, can sometimes go undetected for years and can in the case of HIV increase your risk of contracting another STD. While most are curable with proper diagnosis and treatment, some are not and can have devastating effects, such as infertility and death, if left untreated. STDs can also cause complications in pregnant women that affect both the mother and the unborn child.