A new report says that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur each year. This includes syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes simplex virus type 2 and — the most common — HPV.
These infections cost the United States $16 billion in medical costs annually, the report continues, and 110 million infections exist at any given time — keeping in mind that one person could have multiple infections at once.
Four of the STIs can be treated and cured if diagnosed early: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. However, if not caught early, it can cause a serious pelvic infection and infertility in women.
