According to the new annual report of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are still on the rise in the United States.

The 2007 annual report shows a high burden of STDs, especially among women and racial minorities and illness such as chlamydia and gonorrhea exceeded 1.4 million in 2007, continuing to be the most frequently reported infectious diseases nationwide.

Dr. John M. Douglas, Jr, MD, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention said, "The widespread occurrence of these diseases should serve as a stark reminder that STDs remain a serious health threat in the United States, especially for women and racial and ethnic minorities. Left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause infertility, affecting a woman's chance to bear children later in life. Such a severe consequence is entirely avoidable, if as a nation we work together to increase the use of proven prevention tools and make them widely available to those who need them."

Syphilis rates increased for a seventh year while the number of gonorrhea cases remained very high. Chlamydia cases touched a record high with 1.1 million cases reported from the 1 million of 2006 while more than 350,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2007, similar to 2006 figures.

The CDC in the report "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2007" also highlighted the fact that African Americans were the most heavily affected. In 2007 blacks who constituted 12 % of the population in the country were affected by 70 % of reported gonorrhea cases, 48% of all chlamydia cases, and 46% of all syphilis cases.

Black women between the ages of 15 to 19 years had the highest rates of chlamydia (9646.7 per 100,000 population) and gonorrhea (2955.7 per 100,000 population), while black women aged 20 to 24 years had the second highest prevalence for these diseases.

Socioeconomic factors are said to play a big role in sexual health which could be the reason these are more prevalent in the blacks than any other community. "The racial disparities in rates of STDs are among the worst health disparities in the nation for any health condition," Dr. Douglas said. "We must intensify efforts to reach these communities with needed screening and treatment services. Testing and the knowledge of infection is a critical first step toward reducing the continued consequences of these diseases."

The CDC recommends a comprehensive program including screening, treatment, and behavioral interventions to try to reduce the increase of STDs. These measures should focus more on racial and ethnic groups that are at a higher risk.

The CDC in collaboration with the Partnership for Prevention and 8 other leading STD organizations established the National Chlamydia Coalition to try to lower Chlamydia rates. They have tried a similar approach for syphilis since 1999 though they have had mixed success, requiring ongoing shifting of priorities at the federal, state, and local levels.

"Organized collaboration among interested, committed public and private organizations and communities is the key to reducing STDs and their related health burdens," the report authors conclude.