(10/29/2019) - Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all increased in Michigan last year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The state has experienced between 45,000 and 51,000 cases of chlamydia annually since 2008, and in 2018 reported cases increased under 1 percent to just over 51,000.

Gonorrhea cases dropped nearly by half from 2008 to 2014 but have climbed 70 percent since then, including a 10 percent jump in 2018 to 16,922 cases. Reports of syphilis had dropped following an outbreak in 2013 but jumped 36 percent in 2018 to 654 cases.

The increases mirror a national trend, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of all three STDs rose for the fifth straight year in 2018.

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Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, who is Michigan's chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, said many people infected with an STD are unaware so they unknowingly pass it along to someone else.

“All sexually active individuals should speak to their health care provider about regular testing so they can get proper treatment and prevent the spread of disease,” she said.

State health officials say the highest increases in STD rates have been seen in adolescents, African Americans and men who have sex with men.

Females often don't feel symptoms of STDs while men might experience burning pain during urination, discharge, rashes or sores. Antibiotics can treat many STDs.

Untreated chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis can lead to significant health effects, including infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth in infants and increased HIV risk.

Khaldun encourages sexually active people to get screened for STDs. They also should understand the risk, consider abstaining from sex, reduce their number of sex partners and use condoms correctly to reduce the spread of STDs.