Update: Sexually transmitted infections, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2021

Area of Science:

• Military Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant health concern within military populations.
• Understanding STI incidence trends is crucial for targeted prevention and control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the incidence rates of the five most common STIs among U.S. active component service members from 2013 to 2021.
• To analyze trends and identify demographic factors associated with higher STI rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of STI incidence data.
• Surveillance data from active component U.S. Armed Forces service members (2013-2021).
• Categorization of infections by type: chlamydia, genital HPV, gonorrhea, genital HSV, and syphilis.

Main Results:

• Chlamydia was the most frequent STI, followed by genital HPV, gonorrhea, genital HSV, and syphilis.
• Women exhibited higher rates than men for all STIs except syphilis.
• Younger, non-Hispanic Black, single/other marital status, and enlisted service members generally had higher STI incidence rates.

Conclusions:

• STI incidence varies significantly across demographic groups within the U.S. military.
• While some STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea saw recent decreases, syphilis rates fluctuated.
• Genital HPV and HSV rates generally declined over the surveillance period.