Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reached a record high in 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, with 2.3 million diagnosed cases.
The rapid rise may be in part due to a decrease in condom use and mutating strains of infections that resist antibiotics. "We have seen steep and sustained increases over the last five years,” Gail Bolan, director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, told NBC News. "Usually there are ebbs and flows, but this sustained increase is very concerning."
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