STI Statistics 2026 — Current Rates, Trends, and Cited Sources

This page collects current STI epidemiological data — US and global — from CDC, WHO, UNAIDS, and other primary sources. Updated periodically.

Overall STI burden in the US

  • CDC estimate: ~20 million new STIs each year in the US (CDC STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021)
  • Half of all new STIs occur in people aged 15-24
  • Direct medical costs: approximately $15.9 billion annually
  • Indirect costs (lost productivity, long-term complications): estimated $20+ billion

Global STI burden

  • WHO estimate: ~1 million new STIs acquired every day worldwide
  • ~376 million new infections each year of the four main curable STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis)
  • Source: WHO STI factsheet 2024

Chlamydia

US (CDC)

  • ~1.6 million reported cases per year — the most common reportable infection
  • Rate: ~480 per 100,000 population
  • Highest rates in women 15-24 (about 3,200 per 100,000 in that group)
  • CDC estimate of actual incidence (including unreported): ~2.5-3 million per year

Global (WHO)

  • ~129 million new infections per year
  • One of the four most common curable STIs

Complications

  • Untreated: ~10-15% of women with chlamydia develop PID
  • PID: ~20% of affected women have infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain
  • Leading STI-related cause of infertility in the US

Gonorrhea

US (CDC)

  • ~700,000 reported cases per year (steady increase since 2010s)
  • Rate: ~210 per 100,000
  • Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea now in CDC's "urgent threats" category

Global (WHO)

  • ~82 million new infections per year

Resistance concern

  • Multi-drug resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae documented in multiple US states
  • Ceftriaxone is the last reliable single-agent treatment
  • CDC dual therapy (ceftriaxone + azithromycin) updated in 2021 to ceftriaxone-only at higher dose

Syphilis

US (CDC) — the fastest-rising STI

  • ~207,000 reported cases in 2022 (latest published)
  • Rates more than doubled since 2018
  • Congenital syphilis at a 30-year high — ~3,700 cases of newborns infected by their mothers
  • Drivers: COVID-era screening gaps, public health funding cuts, dating-app-era partner change

Global (WHO)

  • ~7.1 million new infections per year
  • 700,000+ cases of congenital syphilis annually

Why it matters

  • 100% curable with penicillin at any stage
  • Untreated: 25-40% progress to tertiary syphilis with cardiovascular/neurological complications

HIV

US (CDC)

  • ~32,000 new diagnoses per year (latest available, declining gradually)
  • ~1.2 million people living with HIV in the US
  • ~13% of HIV-positive people are unaware they have the infection
  • Life expectancy with modern treatment: within a few years of general population

Global (UNAIDS)

  • ~39 million people living with HIV worldwide
  • ~1.3 million new infections in 2023
  • Down 39% since 2010 (a public-health success story)
  • AIDS-related deaths down 69% since 2004
  • ~76% of people living with HIV are on treatment

Treatment

  • 95-95-95 targets (95% diagnosed, 95% on treatment, 95% suppressed) achieved in some regions
  • Modern ART regimens: once-daily pill or 2-month/6-month injectable

HPV

US (CDC)

  • ~80% of sexually active people get HPV at some point in their lives
  • ~79 million Americans currently infected
  • ~14 million new infections each year
  • ~36,000 HPV-associated cancers annually
  • Cervical cancer: ~13,000 new cases per year, ~4,300 deaths

Global (WHO)

  • ~570,000 cases of cervical cancer per year (84% in low- and middle-income countries)
  • ~311,000 cervical cancer deaths per year
  • The HPV vaccine prevents ~90% of HPV-associated cancers

Vaccination

  • US HPV vaccination rate (ages 13-17): ~62% completing full series (2023)
  • Australia, leading the world: vaccination rates ~80%, cervical cancer projected eliminated by 2035

Herpes (HSV)

US (CDC)

  • ~57% of US adults have HSV-1 antibodies
  • ~12% of US adults have HSV-2 antibodies
  • ~572,000 new HSV-2 infections per year
  • Most cases undiagnosed — ~87% of HSV-2 carriers don't know they have it

Global (WHO)

  • ~3.7 billion people under 50 have HSV-1 (about 67%)
  • ~491 million people with HSV-2 globally
  • Roughly half of new genital herpes infections in the US are now HSV-1 (vs HSV-2) — driven by oral sex

Molluscum contagiosum

  • US prevalence harder to measure (no reportable disease status)
  • Estimated 1-1.5% of US population at any given time
  • Most common in children 1-10 and sexually active adults

Hepatitis B

  • US: ~22,000 new HBV infections per year (CDC, 2022)
  • Global: ~296 million people chronically infected
  • ~820,000 deaths per year from HBV-related liver disease
  • Vaccine prevents nearly all infection

Hepatitis C

  • US: ~17,000 new acute HCV infections diagnosed (CDC), actual incidence higher
  • ~2.4 million Americans chronically infected
  • Global: ~58 million chronically infected
  • Now curable in 95%+ of cases with 8-12 weeks of direct-acting antivirals

Trichomoniasis

  • US: ~2.6 million Americans infected at any time
  • Global: ~156 million new infections per year (WHO)
  • Most common curable STI globally

Mpox

  • 2022-2023 outbreak peaked at ~30,000 US cases
  • Now stable at much lower endemic levels
  • Vaccine widely available; high-risk populations encouraged to get vaccinated

Demographic patterns (US)

Age

  • 15-24 year-olds account for nearly half of all new STIs
  • Highest chlamydia rates: women 20-24
  • Highest gonorrhea rates: men 25-29
  • Highest syphilis rates: men 25-34

Race / ethnicity disparities

  • Substantial disparities exist in US STI rates, largely reflecting healthcare access inequalities
  • Black and Hispanic populations carry higher rates of most STIs
  • These disparities have widened since 2018 with COVID-era care disruptions

Sex / gender

  • Women bear more STI complications (PID, infertility, cervical cancer, congenital transmission)
  • Men have higher rates of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea and oropharyngeal HPV cancer
  • MSM (men who have sex with men) have disproportionate HIV and syphilis rates

Trends to watch

  • Syphilis is rising fast — most concerning current trend
  • Congenital syphilis is at a 30-year high — entirely preventable
  • Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea — clinical concern; alternative antibiotics in development
  • HIV is declining slowly but stigma and access remain key levers
  • HPV vaccination is the success story — generational shift in cancer rates likely

Primary sources

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Methodology notes

These numbers come from CDC's STD Surveillance Report, WHO STI Surveillance, UNAIDS reports, and peer-reviewed estimates. Specific epidemiological caveats:

  • Reportable infections (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, hepatitis C) have legally-required reporting; numbers are mandatory case counts
  • Non-reportable infections (HSV, HPV, trichomonas) rely on serological surveys, healthcare encounter data, and modeling
  • Self-reported STI data is generally lower than true incidence due to stigma and access barriers
  • Acute vs total numbers differ — total people living with HIV is ~1.2M in US, while acute new diagnoses each year is ~32,000

For the most current data on a specific STI, click through to the primary source.

When this page is updated

Last verified May 2026. Update schedule: every 6-12 months as new CDC and WHO reports are published. Significant breaking statistics (a major outbreak, a vaccine approval, a treatment breakthrough) are updated promptly.

For specific conditions in depth, see our pillar guides: herpes · HIV · HPV · molluscum · chlamydia · syphilis. For practical action on a personal situation, see our testing options or community.