
Sexually transmitted disease cases fall, but not syphilis in newborns
New government data shows another decline in sexually transmitted disease rates for U.S. adults, but also a continued rise in syphilis in newborns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday posted the provisional data for 2024. It shows a third consecutive year of decline in gonorrhea cases. It also shows a second consecutive year of fewer adult cases of chlamydia and the most infectious forms of syphilis. But health officials have not yet been able to turn around the rise in congenital syphilis cases, in which infected moms pass the disease on to their babies. Those cases were up by less than 2% from 2023. But health experts say no cases should be happening.