Human pap smear showing chlamydia in the vacuoles at 500x and stained with H&E. Photo: Media for Medical/UIG via Getty Images
The world sees more than 1 million new, curable cases of sexually transmitted infections every day, amounting to more than 376 million new cases annually, according to new data from the World Health Organization.
Why it matters: Rapid resistance to antibiotics is a growing health threat to these curable infections, which include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis. If untreated, the infections can lead to long-term health effects like "neurological and cardiovascular disease, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirths, and increased risk of HIV," according to the WHO.
"We're seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. This is a wake-up call for a concerted effort to ensure everyone, everywhere can access the services they need to prevent and treat these debilitating diseases."— Dr. Peter Salama, executive director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life-Course at WHO
Go deeper: 2017 set records for STD diagnoses in the United States