The declining use of condoms is cited as a driver of surging STI rates is. A study found that between 2012 and 2017 rates of condomless sexual relations increased among MSM, "and other research suggests this shift in behavior may be partially tied to the increased use of PrEP, which guards against HIV but not other STIs." (https://www.livescience.com/why-are-sexually-transmitted-infections-on-the-rise-in-the-us)
[Contraception itself is overall ultimately harmful to societies, as large stable husband and wife families best foster learning sharing, sacrificing for the common good, tolerance, and how to resolve conflicts, thus preparing them for society at-large. But homosexual relations are not for procreation, and are ultimately deleterious to self and society.]
Abstinence is the choice to refrain from some or all sexual activity. It is the only method that is 100% effective in preventing unintended pregnancy and STD transmission when used consistently and correctly. (https://sacd.sdsu.edu/_resources/files/well-being/03698-Abstinence_05-2013.pdf)
The CDC does not specifically report lower rates of STD's among married couples:
The 1995-1999 CDC STD Surveillance Reports state: “During the past two decades, the age of initiation of sexual activity has steadily decreased and age at first marriage has increased, resulting in increases in premarital sexual experience. …”Non-marital sexual activity with multiple partners is the singular cause of the proliferation of STDs and yet for some reason all CDC surveillance reports since 1999 omit the above statement and make no reference to marriage at all. Instead we get, “talk openly about STDs” and the obligatory, “use condoms.” (https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/12/6/18344396/opinion-as-marriage-rates-decline-reports-of-stds-rise)
Moreover, I have not found any studies on STD infections among married monogamous couples versus nonmarried in the US.
The incidence of many STDs in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM)—including primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis and antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea—is greater than that reported in women and men who have sex with women only (MSW).
Since 2000, rates of P&S syphilis have increased among men, primarily attributable to increases in cases among MSM. Similar to past years, in 2018, MSM accounted for the majority (53.5%) of all reported cases of P&S syphilis and, of these, 41.6% were known to be living with diagnosed HIV. Although rates of P&S syphilis are lower among women, rates have increased substantially in recent years, increasing 30.4% during 2017–2018 and 172.7% during 2014–2018, suggesting a rapidly growing heterosexual epidemic.
In 2000 and 2001, the national rate of reported primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis cases was 2.1 cases per 100,000 population, the lowest rate since reporting began in 1941 (Figure 35, Table 1).
However, the P&S syphilis rate has increased almost every year since 2001. This rise in the rate of reported P&S syphilis has been primarily attributable to increased cases among men and, specifically, among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM account for the majority of P&S syphilis cases and estimated rates are substantially higher among MSM compared with women or men who have sex with women only (MSW). 5 The number of cases among MSM has continued to increase, but within the last five years, cases among MSW and women have increased substantially as well. The increase in syphilis among women is of particular concern because it is associated with a striking and concurrent increase in congenital syphilis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: STD Surveillance 2018 National Profile 27 West, and 7.2% in the Northeast (Table 29). Among women, the largest increases were observed in the West (41.2%), followed by the Northeast (40.0%), the South (30.8%) and the Midwest (30.8%) (Table 28). MSM continued to account for the majority of P&S syphilis cases in 2018 (Figures 39 and 41).
Of 35,063 reported P&S syphilis cases in 2018, 18,760 (53.5%) were among MSM, including 16,905 (48.2%) cases among men who had sex with men only and 1,855 (5.3%) cases among men who had sex with both men and women (Figure 39)....
Among the 24,176 male cases with information on sex of sex partners, 77.6% occurred among MSM. A total of 36 states were able to classify at least 70.0% of reported P&S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: STD Surveillance 2018 National Profile 27 West, and 7.2% in the Northeast (Table 29).
Among women, the largest increases were observed in the West (41.2%), followed by the Northeast (40.0%), the South (30.8%) and the Midwest (30.8%) (Table 28). MSM continued to account for the majority of P&S syphilis cases in 2018 (Figures 39 and 41). Of 35,063 reported P&S syphilis cases in 2018, 18,760 (53.5%) were among MSM, including 16,905 (48.2%) cases among men who had sex with men only and 1,855 (5.3%) cases among men who had sex with both men and women (Figure 39).
Overall, 5,416 (15.4%) cases were among MSW, 4,995 (14.2%) were among women, 5,858 (16.7%) were among men without information about sex of sex partners, and 34 (0.1%) were cases reported with unknown sex. Among the 24,176 male cases with information on sex of sex partners, 77.6% occurred among MSM. A total of 36 states were able to classify at least 70.0% of reported P&S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, or women each year during 2014– 2018 (Figure 41). In these states, during 2017–2018, the number of cases increased 5.3% among MSM, 16.3% among MSW, and 32.9% among women.
Among 2018 P&S syphilis cases with known HIV status, 41.6% of cases among MSM were HIV-positive, compared with 7.9% of cases among MSW, and 4.0% of cases among women.
When examining reported P+S syphilis cases over time, 36 states were able to classify at least 70% of reported P+S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, or women each year during 2014–2018. In these states, cases among MSM increased 5.3% during 2017–2018 and 51.5% during 2014– 2018 (Figure 41).
Among males, 610,447 cases of chlamydia were reported in 2018 for a rate of 380.6 cases per 100,000 males (Table 5). The rate of reported cases among males increased each year during 2000–2018, with the exception of 2012–2013, when rates remained stable (Figure 1). During 2017–2018 alone, the rate among males increased 5.7%; during 2014–2018, rates of reported cases among males increased 37.8% (Tables 4 and 5). This pronounced increase among males could be attributed to either increased transmission or improved case identification (e.g., through intensified extra-genital screening efforts) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).
Despite this considerable increase in males, the rate of reported chlamydia cases among females was still about two times the rate among males in 2018, likely reflecting a larger number of females screened for this infection.
As regards Gonorrhea...San Francisco had the highest proportion of cases estimated to be MSM (86.4%), while Baltimore had the lowest proportion of MSM cases (20.1%). In total, across all SSuN sites, 42.5% of gonorrhea cases were estimated to be among MSM, 25.1% among MSW, and 32.4% among women.
Among six jurisdictions participating in SSuN [STD Surveillance Network] continuously from 2010 to 2018,..The estimated gonorrhea case rate among MSM increased 375.5% during 2010–2018 from 1,368.6 cases per 100,000 MSM in 2010 to 6,508.0 cases per 100,000 MSM in 2018. Over the same time period, case rates among MSW and women also increased by 69.3% and 95.2%, respectively.
[Overall,] Rates of chlamydia have gone up by 19 percent since 2014. For gonorrhea, there are 583,405 cases in the U.S., and rates have gone up 63 percent since 2014. Rates of syphilis have increased 71 percent since 2014, and are highest in men and women 25-29 years old. congenital syphilis — when an infected mother passes syphilis to her baby during pregnancy — which have shot up by 185 percent since 2014, (https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats18/STDSurveillance2018-full-report.pdf)
Among six jurisdictions participating in SSuN [STD Surveillance Network] continuously from 2010 to 2018,..The estimated gonorrhea case rate among MSM increased 375.5% during 2010–2018 from 1,368.6 cases per 100,000 MSM in 2010 to 6,508.0 cases per 100,000 MSM in 2018. Over the same time period, case rates among MSW and women also increased by 69.3% and 95.2%, respectively.
[Overall,] Rates of chlamydia have gone up by 19 percent since 2014. For gonorrhea, there are 583,405 cases in the U.S., and rates have gone up 63 percent since 2014. Rates of syphilis have increased 71 percent since 2014, and are highest in men and women 25-29 years old. congenital syphilis — when an infected mother passes syphilis to her baby during pregnancy — which have shot up by 185 percent since 2014, (https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats18/STDSurveillance2018-full-report.pdf)
More than 1.6 million cases of chlamydia were reported in 2021. Chlamydia is often asymptomatic and so cases may go uncounted when screening falters, the CDC report states.
More than 710,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2021, an increase of 4.6% from 2020. Since hitting a historic low in 2009, gonorrhea rates have increased by 118%. The CDC says it's only a matter of time before a strain becomes fully resistant to available treatments. (https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/as-syphilis-levels-hit-70-year-high-sexually-transmitted-infection-epidemic-shows-no-signs-of-slowing)
In the six years preceding the Covid-19 pandemic, gonorrhea rates increased by an average of roughly 10% each year, chlamydia rates increased by an average 3.6% annually and syphilis rates increased by an average 14% annually. Syphilis case rates surged more sharply in the same time period, to their highest rate in three decades — a 27% uptick compared to 2020. (https://www.livescience.com/why-are-sexually-transmitted-infections-on-the-rise-in-the-us)
Men who have sex with men accounted for 56.7% of all male P&S syphilis cases in 2019. Also, estimated rates of reported gonorrhea among MSM are 42 times the estimated rate among men who have sex with women. (https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2019/overview.htm)
The CDC study Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2014 found that among male cases for whom the sex of the partner was known, 83% of syphilis cases were MSM. 75.53% of syphilis cases in 2014 were among homosexual men. 51% of the homosexual men diagnosed with syphilis in 2014 were also HIV-positive. (https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/cdc-83-syphilis-cases-2014-among-gay-men-where-sex-sex-partner-was)
Among women, studies have shown that viral STD rates among bisexual-identifying women aged 15 to 44 years were almost three times higher than women who have sex with women exclusively. (https://www.stdcheck.com/blog/lgbt-std-statistics)
The CDC study Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2014 found that among male cases for whom the sex of the partner was known, 83% of syphilis cases were MSM. 75.53% of syphilis cases in 2014 were among homosexual men. 51% of the homosexual men diagnosed with syphilis in 2014 were also HIV-positive. (https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/cdc-83-syphilis-cases-2014-among-gay-men-where-sex-sex-partner-was)
Among women, studies have shown that viral STD rates among bisexual-identifying women aged 15 to 44 years were almost three times higher than women who have sex with women exclusively. (https://www.stdcheck.com/blog/lgbt-std-statistics)
2021 saw a 26% rise in new syphilis cases, with the rate of syphilis cases reaching its highest since 1991, and with the total number of cases achieving its highest number since 1948, while HIV cases were up 16% in 2021. (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/19/sexually-transmitted-disease-rise-syphilis-us?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1)
And a new CDC report provides final surveillance data for 2021, and shows that overall in a single year (2020-2021) syphilis rates increased nearly 32% for combined stages of the infection. Cases of congenital syphilis rose by an alarming 32% and resulted in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.
In 2017, in the first survey to look at the prevalence of the virus in the adult population, the CDC reported that over 42 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 59 were infected with genital human papillomavirus. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db280.pdf)
