New CDC surveillance data show encouraging declines in several sexually transmitted infections—but a troubling increase in syphilis among newborns. In this episode, the Director of the Division of STD Prevention at the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Bradley Stoner breaks down the key takeaways from the 2024 provisional STI surveillance report, including declines in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis, alongside the continued rise in congenital syphilis. The conversation explores what’s driving progress, the prevention strategies showing impact, and where urgent action is still needed. Dr. Stoner also discusses how states and local health departments can use provisional data to guide interventions, expand screening and treatment, and prepare for improved data access through CDC’s new One CDC Data Platform.
Supporting Pharmacies as Contraception Access Hubs | ASTHO
Organizational Strategic Planning Guide | ASTHO
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This is Public Health Review
Morning Edition for Monday,
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January 26th, 2026.
I'm John Chan with news from the
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Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials.
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Today we discussed new CDC
surveillance data that shows
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encouraging declines in several
sexually transmitted infections,
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though a troubling increase in
syphilis among newborns.
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As we continue our legislative
prospectus series examining the
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public health policy trends set
to shape 2026, our guest is the
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Director of the Division of STD
Prevention at the National
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Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,
STD and TB Prevention.
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Doctor Bradley Stoner.
Doctor Bradley.
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Stoner welcome.
To the show.
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Thank you very much.
Glad to be here.
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Doctor Stoner What are the big
takeaways from the 2024 STI
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surveillance data?
Well, the report shows that last
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year in 2024, syphilis and
newborns increased for the 12th
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year in a row in the United
States, with nearly 4000 cases
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of newborn syphilis reported to
the CDC.
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Now, this was a 2% increase
relative to the previous year
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compared to double digit
increases in some recent years.
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So there is evidence of a
slowing of this increase, but
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still 2024 cases were nearly
700% higher than 10 years ago.
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So there's a long way to go to
address this deadly but
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preventable consequence of the
ongoing syphilis epidemic.
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Now, the report also shows that
overall, the STI burden remains
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substantial in the United
States, but there are signs of
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progress that hopefully will
continue.
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The latest data show that more
than 2.2 million STI's were
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reported in 2024, and this is a
9% decline from 2023.
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Moreover, primary and secondary
syphilis cases, which are the
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most infectious stages of
syphilis, declined by nearly
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22%.
And this is the second year in a
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row of primary and secondary
syphilis declines.
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Chlamydia cases declined by 8%
also for second year in a row,
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and gonorrhea cases declined by
nearly 10%.
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And this is the third year in a
row we've seen gonorrhea
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declines.
So there is room for optimism,
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but we cannot take our eye off
the goal, which is slowing and
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reversing the STI epidemic
completely.
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Yeah, that.
Sounds there's a There's a mixed
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bag there.
How do you how do you parse
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this?
Well, we clearly think that the
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national declines are tangible
evidence of the important impact
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of public health efforts.
I consider this the prevention
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impact, the value of prevention
and the efforts that we're doing
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at the CDC and national level to
provide leadership for state and
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local health departments which
are doing the work on the
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ground.
This includes, first of all,
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work to increase awareness of
the SDI epidemic at the state
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and local level.
So publicizing St.
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IS as a public health problem
and creating prioritization of
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the need for STI prevention and
helping state and local health
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departments prioritize St.
IS through awareness.
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We also are working to expand
public health efforts to control
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St.
IS, which includes increased
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partner outreach and
notification efforts, increased
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awareness of clinical service
availability and expanded use of
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what we call expedited partner
therapy, which is the provision
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of treatment to patients to
provide to their partners
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without the need for a clinical
exam for those partners.
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So all of these things are tools
that we have to promote STI
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prevention.
And finally, I would point out
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that we're expanding efforts to
increase uptake of prevention
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innovations like self tests for
STI's, an increased use of doxy
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PEP, which is the provision of
doxycycline as post exposure
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prophylaxis to patients with an
STI to reinfection.
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So all of these are really
excellent approaches to STI's,
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but we really have to accelerate
our progress to stop the STI
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epidemic.
So although we're encouraged by
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the the data in the in the
report, in some cases, we really
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our goal is to is to capitalize
on these results and to ensure
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that the SDI epidemic comes
under control.
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Yeah, as you said, evidence is
slowing, but rates are still
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going up.
Yes.
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And I don't want to lose track
of the 4000, nearly 4000 cases
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of congenital syphilis because
this is a a major problem for us
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and something that we can do
something about.
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Is there a context within
demographic breakdowns?
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I mean, how, How else should we
think about this?
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Well, it's important to remember
that the 2024 surveillance
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report is provisional, which
means that the data have not
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been finalized.
And so we just don't have the
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data to say where in the country
population level specific
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differences are occurring.
We know that considering the
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surveillance data specifically,
there are the nearly 4000 cases
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of newborn syphilis, which I
talked about previously, which
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were reported to CDC in 2024.
And that beyond the surveillance
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data, we know that CD, that CDC
estimates one in five people in
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the United States has an STI.
And so the STI's affect the
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health of millions of Americans.
And while the STI epidemic
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touches nearly every community,
some geographic areas and
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populations may experience
increases or decreases not
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reflected by the newest 2024
national data.
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So we just can't make those
determinations yet.
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What's happening is that CDC is
migrating.
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It's a national Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System, or
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NNDSS data, and it's processing
to a new platform called One CDC
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Data Platform or One CDP.
And because of this, CDC has
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postponed reconciliation and
publication of 2024 case
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surveillance data to allow state
and local health departments and
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CDC more time to onboard the one
CDP.
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So the final numbers may change
for 2024, but the overall trends
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are there and we just can't make
population level specific
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analysis at this time.
We just don't have those data.
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But we feel it's important to
release STI data in a timely way
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so that the 2024 provisional
report is essential because CDC
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and local and state STI programs
rely on these data to inform
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their ongoing STI pension
efforts.
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Sure, absolutely.
So with that in mind, how should
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local agencies start thinking
about how they should use these
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results to sort of drive their
interventions?
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It sounds like working towards
lowering infant syphilis is a
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big one.
Lowering infant syphilis is a
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big one, and we feel that the
importance of having and sharing
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updated data at the local level
for communities is critical, and
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CDC is committed to making this
easier.
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For example, health departments
can access county level syphilis
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data from our website to
identify counties with high
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rates of syphilis, and these
data can then be used to help
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notify physicians in these
counties to encourage more
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testing and coordinated
treatment.
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So this is important not just
for overall syphilis, but for
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maternal syphilis.
So identifying pregnant women
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with syphilis and providing
treatment to prevent syphilis
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and newborns.
Now I would say, John, that
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while the data indicate we may
be turning the corner in some
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respects, we must accelerate the
progress to stop the STI
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epidemic and its most tragic
consequences.
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We have excellent resources at
CDC, such as our updated program
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guidance for STI programs.
We call these the program
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Operation Considerations for STI
Prevention and also an updated
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outbreak tool kit known as the
STI Outbreak Preparedness and
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Response Toolkit.
These are valuable resources to
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assist state, tribal, local, and
territorial health departments
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in preparing for and responding
to sexually transmitted
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infection outbreaks.
And what can?
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States.
Sort of take away from the
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results in terms of again either
prioritizations or just sort of
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lessons learned from what's been
working, what hasn't been
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working.
Well, CDC is empowering States
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and communities to prioritize
STI control so that we can
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address the epidemic at federal,
state, and local levels.
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There are several areas that can
be prioritized to strengthen
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response to STI efforts and
jurisdictions, including, for
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example, enhanced screening and
treatment of pregnant women for
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syphilis and identifying
maternal syphilis cases and
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providing treatment before the
case is advanced.
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This is probably one of the most
important ways that we can work
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with state and local partners to
prevent congenital syphilis.
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We're also very excited about
expanded use of Doxy PEP for
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doxycycline as post exposure
prophylaxis in STI clinics and
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HIV care and prevention clinics
and this will help prevent
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recurrence of chlamydia as well
as syphilis in persons who are
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diagnosed with these infections.
I want to point out that we are
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paying very close attention to
antimicrobial resistance and
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gonorrhea.
So heightened awareness and
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response to antimicrobial
resistance for gonorrhea if and
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when it does occur in the US is
part of the CDC focus.
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We have a whole program which we
call cargoes combating
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antimicrobial resistant
gonorrhea and other STIs, which
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tracks gonorrhea resistance
nationally.
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So we're paying very close
attention to that.
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CDC is promoting expanded use of
new testing technologies such as
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self tests for syphilis that can
I get identify new cases in non
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clinical settings.
And state and territorial health
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departments can provide avenues
for community based
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organizations and other groups
to access point of care tests
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for syphilis.
And one test is now over the
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counter as well as point of care
tests for gonorrhea and
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chlamydia.
And finally, I would say
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reaching people more effectively
by offering STI testing and
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treatment in more settings where
people access care and services.
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Doctor Stoner, I'm wondering,
you mentioned the CDC is
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migrating its data to a new
platform.
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Do you have a sense of the road
map to completion and what the
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new platform can offer public
health?
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Officials.
Well, the new platform is called
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One CDC data Platform.
And my understanding is that the
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migration to this new platform
will occur in 2026.
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When that happens, we will be
able to finalize 2024 and 2025
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surveillance data.
There's a bit of a delay, but it
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will also allow greater access
to data across a variety of
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reportable conditions.
So the expectation is that the
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new platform will be more nimble
and more accessible to partners.
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So, so while this allows us at
this point, we're required to
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issue provisional data on St. is
we'll have a final STI
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surveillance report for 2024 and
2025 available in the coming
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year.
Yeah, more robust look, even
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though right now data is
somewhat rough at best.
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I think we don't think that the
overall trends will change, but
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the some of the specifics may
we, we have enough data to know
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that the overall case burden
will remain about the same, but
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some of the specifics at the
local level may change in terms
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of case numbers.
Doctor Bradley Stoner is the
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Director of the Division of STD
Prevention at the National
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Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,
STD, and TB Prevention.
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He joined us as part of our
legislative prospectus series
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00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:55,560
examining the policy trends set
to shape public health in 2026.
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Access to contraception is
changing and pharmacies are at
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the center of it.
With the FDA's approval of the
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first over the counter birth
control pill, more people can
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00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,400
now get contraception without a
doctor's visit, especially those
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00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,440
who are uninsured, live in rural
areas, or previously relied on
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00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,560
less effective methods.
Early research shows OTC access
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00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:21,920
is already closing gaps in care
by making contraception more
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00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,400
convenient and flexible.
But this promise comes at a time
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00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,240
when pharmacies themselves are
under strain, facing closures,
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00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,160
workforce shortages and even
insurance coverage that can
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00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,840
drive up out of pocket costs.
Public health agencies have a
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critical role to play improving
reimbursement, supporting
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pharmacy capacity, expanding
retail and alternative
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distribution models, and
educating both consumers and
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providers.
Learn more at the link in the
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show notes.
Astos Organizational Strategic
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00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,360
Planning Guide provides health
agencies with an overview of the
216
00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,080
organizational strategic
planning process comprised of
217
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,400
seven major phases that an
organization should complete on
218
00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,680
a recurring basis to adapt and
refine their plans over time.
219
00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,320
This allows organizations to
remain responsible as their
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00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,800
needs and goals evolve.
In addition, the guide reviews
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00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,800
keys to success and highlights
tips for addressing common
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00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,080
challenges for each phase.
It helps organizations better
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00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,880
navigate uncertainties,
anticipate challenges and
224
00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,040
achieve success in their
strategic planning.
225
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Find a link in the show notes.
This has been Public Health
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review Morning edition.
I'm John Sheehan for the
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00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,120
Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials.
00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,400
This is Public Health Review
Morning Edition for Monday,
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00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:08,600
January 26th, 2026.
I'm John Chan with news from the
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00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,360
Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials.
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00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,200
Today we discussed new CDC
surveillance data that shows
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00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,840
encouraging declines in several
sexually transmitted infections,
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00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640
though a troubling increase in
syphilis among newborns.
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00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,360
As we continue our legislative
prospectus series examining the
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00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,960
public health policy trends set
to shape 2026, our guest is the
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00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,320
Director of the Division of STD
Prevention at the National
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00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,880
Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,
STD and TB Prevention.
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00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:41,280
Doctor Bradley Stoner.
Doctor Bradley.
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00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:42,400
Stoner welcome.
To the show.
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00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:44,040
Thank you very much.
Glad to be here.
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00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:49,080
Doctor Stoner What are the big
takeaways from the 2024 STI
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00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,600
surveillance data?
Well, the report shows that last
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00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,760
year in 2024, syphilis and
newborns increased for the 12th
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00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,160
year in a row in the United
States, with nearly 4000 cases
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00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,440
of newborn syphilis reported to
the CDC.
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00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,160
Now, this was a 2% increase
relative to the previous year
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00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,040
compared to double digit
increases in some recent years.
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00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,480
So there is evidence of a
slowing of this increase, but
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00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,800
still 2024 cases were nearly
700% higher than 10 years ago.
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00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,800
So there's a long way to go to
address this deadly but
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00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,440
preventable consequence of the
ongoing syphilis epidemic.
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00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,920
Now, the report also shows that
overall, the STI burden remains
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00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,680
substantial in the United
States, but there are signs of
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00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,360
progress that hopefully will
continue.
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00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,200
The latest data show that more
than 2.2 million STI's were
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00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:40,400
reported in 2024, and this is a
9% decline from 2023.
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00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,400
Moreover, primary and secondary
syphilis cases, which are the
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00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,560
most infectious stages of
syphilis, declined by nearly
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00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,000
22%.
And this is the second year in a
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00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,320
row of primary and secondary
syphilis declines.
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00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,800
Chlamydia cases declined by 8%
also for second year in a row,
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00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,960
and gonorrhea cases declined by
nearly 10%.
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00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,800
And this is the third year in a
row we've seen gonorrhea
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00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,840
declines.
So there is room for optimism,
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00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,639
but we cannot take our eye off
the goal, which is slowing and
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00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,040
reversing the STI epidemic
completely.
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00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,320
Yeah, that.
Sounds there's a There's a mixed
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00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,560
bag there.
How do you how do you parse
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00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,640
this?
Well, we clearly think that the
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00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:22,800
national declines are tangible
evidence of the important impact
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00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,800
of public health efforts.
I consider this the prevention
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00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,320
impact, the value of prevention
and the efforts that we're doing
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00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,640
at the CDC and national level to
provide leadership for state and
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00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:35,560
local health departments which
are doing the work on the
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00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,920
ground.
This includes, first of all,
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00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:41,000
work to increase awareness of
the SDI epidemic at the state
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00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,160
and local level.
So publicizing St.
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00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,560
IS as a public health problem
and creating prioritization of
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00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,880
the need for STI prevention and
helping state and local health
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00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,000
departments prioritize St.
IS through awareness.
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00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,440
We also are working to expand
public health efforts to control
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00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,280
St.
IS, which includes increased
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00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,480
partner outreach and
notification efforts, increased
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00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,640
awareness of clinical service
availability and expanded use of
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00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,840
what we call expedited partner
therapy, which is the provision
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00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,400
of treatment to patients to
provide to their partners
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00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,600
without the need for a clinical
exam for those partners.
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00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,680
So all of these things are tools
that we have to promote STI
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00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:21,960
prevention.
And finally, I would point out
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00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,920
that we're expanding efforts to
increase uptake of prevention
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00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:32,320
innovations like self tests for
STI's, an increased use of doxy
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00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,760
PEP, which is the provision of
doxycycline as post exposure
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00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,920
prophylaxis to patients with an
STI to reinfection.
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00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,960
So all of these are really
excellent approaches to STI's,
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00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,600
but we really have to accelerate
our progress to stop the STI
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epidemic.
So although we're encouraged by
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00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,360
the the data in the in the
report, in some cases, we really
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00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:59,200
our goal is to is to capitalize
on these results and to ensure
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00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,000
that the SDI epidemic comes
under control.
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00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,120
Yeah, as you said, evidence is
slowing, but rates are still
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00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:06,160
going up.
Yes.
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00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,960
And I don't want to lose track
of the 4000, nearly 4000 cases
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00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,720
of congenital syphilis because
this is a a major problem for us
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00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,480
and something that we can do
something about.
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00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,560
Is there a context within
demographic breakdowns?
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00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,760
I mean, how, How else should we
think about this?
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00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,640
Well, it's important to remember
that the 2024 surveillance
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00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,960
report is provisional, which
means that the data have not
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00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,200
been finalized.
And so we just don't have the
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00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,160
data to say where in the country
population level specific
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00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,520
differences are occurring.
We know that considering the
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00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,880
surveillance data specifically,
there are the nearly 4000 cases
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00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,120
of newborn syphilis, which I
talked about previously, which
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00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,720
were reported to CDC in 2024.
And that beyond the surveillance
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00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,080
data, we know that CD, that CDC
estimates one in five people in
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00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,720
the United States has an STI.
And so the STI's affect the
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00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,320
health of millions of Americans.
And while the STI epidemic
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00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,080
touches nearly every community,
some geographic areas and
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00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,160
populations may experience
increases or decreases not
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00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,760
reflected by the newest 2024
national data.
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00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,840
So we just can't make those
determinations yet.
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00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,520
What's happening is that CDC is
migrating.
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00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,640
It's a national Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System, or
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00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:21,320
NNDSS data, and it's processing
to a new platform called One CDC
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00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:25,280
Data Platform or One CDP.
And because of this, CDC has
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00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:29,520
postponed reconciliation and
publication of 2024 case
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00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,960
surveillance data to allow state
and local health departments and
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00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,760
CDC more time to onboard the one
CDP.
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00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,080
So the final numbers may change
for 2024, but the overall trends
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00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,960
are there and we just can't make
population level specific
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00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,520
analysis at this time.
We just don't have those data.
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00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:48,400
But we feel it's important to
release STI data in a timely way
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00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,760
so that the 2024 provisional
report is essential because CDC
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00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,560
and local and state STI programs
rely on these data to inform
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00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,080
their ongoing STI pension
efforts.
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00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,040
Sure, absolutely.
So with that in mind, how should
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00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,400
local agencies start thinking
about how they should use these
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00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:09,720
results to sort of drive their
interventions?
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00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,760
It sounds like working towards
lowering infant syphilis is a
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00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,640
big one.
Lowering infant syphilis is a
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00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,520
big one, and we feel that the
importance of having and sharing
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00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,760
updated data at the local level
for communities is critical, and
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00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,600
CDC is committed to making this
easier.
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00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,800
For example, health departments
can access county level syphilis
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00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,000
data from our website to
identify counties with high
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00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,560
rates of syphilis, and these
data can then be used to help
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00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,200
notify physicians in these
counties to encourage more
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00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,120
testing and coordinated
treatment.
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00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,400
So this is important not just
for overall syphilis, but for
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00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,080
maternal syphilis.
So identifying pregnant women
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00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,960
with syphilis and providing
treatment to prevent syphilis
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00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,560
and newborns.
Now I would say, John, that
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00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,240
while the data indicate we may
be turning the corner in some
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00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,440
respects, we must accelerate the
progress to stop the STI
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00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,440
epidemic and its most tragic
consequences.
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00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:01,120
We have excellent resources at
CDC, such as our updated program
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00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,360
guidance for STI programs.
We call these the program
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00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:08,120
Operation Considerations for STI
Prevention and also an updated
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00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,960
outbreak tool kit known as the
STI Outbreak Preparedness and
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00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,520
Response Toolkit.
These are valuable resources to
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00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,400
assist state, tribal, local, and
territorial health departments
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00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,400
in preparing for and responding
to sexually transmitted
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00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,960
infection outbreaks.
And what can?
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States.
Sort of take away from the
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00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:32,040
results in terms of again either
prioritizations or just sort of
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00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,520
lessons learned from what's been
working, what hasn't been
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00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,600
working.
Well, CDC is empowering States
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00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,800
and communities to prioritize
STI control so that we can
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00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,400
address the epidemic at federal,
state, and local levels.
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00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,200
There are several areas that can
be prioritized to strengthen
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00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,560
response to STI efforts and
jurisdictions, including, for
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00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,200
example, enhanced screening and
treatment of pregnant women for
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00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,560
syphilis and identifying
maternal syphilis cases and
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00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,000
providing treatment before the
case is advanced.
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00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,600
This is probably one of the most
important ways that we can work
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00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,880
with state and local partners to
prevent congenital syphilis.
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00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,760
We're also very excited about
expanded use of Doxy PEP for
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00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,640
doxycycline as post exposure
prophylaxis in STI clinics and
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00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,640
HIV care and prevention clinics
and this will help prevent
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00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,600
recurrence of chlamydia as well
as syphilis in persons who are
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00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,280
diagnosed with these infections.
I want to point out that we are
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00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,680
paying very close attention to
antimicrobial resistance and
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00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:27,400
gonorrhea.
So heightened awareness and
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00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,280
response to antimicrobial
resistance for gonorrhea if and
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00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,200
when it does occur in the US is
part of the CDC focus.
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00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,960
We have a whole program which we
call cargoes combating
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00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,799
antimicrobial resistant
gonorrhea and other STIs, which
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00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:44,280
tracks gonorrhea resistance
nationally.
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00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,000
So we're paying very close
attention to that.
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00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:51,120
CDC is promoting expanded use of
new testing technologies such as
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00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,160
self tests for syphilis that can
I get identify new cases in non
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00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,760
clinical settings.
And state and territorial health
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00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,280
departments can provide avenues
for community based
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00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,560
organizations and other groups
to access point of care tests
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00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,040
for syphilis.
And one test is now over the
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00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,240
counter as well as point of care
tests for gonorrhea and
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00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,040
chlamydia.
And finally, I would say
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00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,600
reaching people more effectively
by offering STI testing and
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00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,320
treatment in more settings where
people access care and services.
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00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,920
Doctor Stoner, I'm wondering,
you mentioned the CDC is
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00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,000
migrating its data to a new
platform.
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00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,760
Do you have a sense of the road
map to completion and what the
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00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,560
new platform can offer public
health?
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00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,000
Officials.
Well, the new platform is called
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00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,040
One CDC data Platform.
And my understanding is that the
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00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,200
migration to this new platform
will occur in 2026.
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00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,920
When that happens, we will be
able to finalize 2024 and 2025
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00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,040
surveillance data.
There's a bit of a delay, but it
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00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:52,440
will also allow greater access
to data across a variety of
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00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,360
reportable conditions.
So the expectation is that the
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00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,840
new platform will be more nimble
and more accessible to partners.
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00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,840
So, so while this allows us at
this point, we're required to
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00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:08,200
issue provisional data on St. is
we'll have a final STI
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00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:13,320
surveillance report for 2024 and
2025 available in the coming
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00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,360
year.
Yeah, more robust look, even
189
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:19,800
though right now data is
somewhat rough at best.
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00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,920
I think we don't think that the
overall trends will change, but
191
00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,360
the some of the specifics may
we, we have enough data to know
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00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,120
that the overall case burden
will remain about the same, but
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00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,560
some of the specifics at the
local level may change in terms
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00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:40,440
of case numbers.
Doctor Bradley Stoner is the
195
00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,360
Director of the Division of STD
Prevention at the National
196
00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,760
Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,
STD, and TB Prevention.
197
00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,240
He joined us as part of our
legislative prospectus series
198
00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:55,560
examining the policy trends set
to shape public health in 2026.
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00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,080
Access to contraception is
changing and pharmacies are at
200
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,760
the center of it.
With the FDA's approval of the
201
00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,880
first over the counter birth
control pill, more people can
202
00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,400
now get contraception without a
doctor's visit, especially those
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00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,440
who are uninsured, live in rural
areas, or previously relied on
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00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,560
less effective methods.
Early research shows OTC access
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00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:21,920
is already closing gaps in care
by making contraception more
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00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,400
convenient and flexible.
But this promise comes at a time
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00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,240
when pharmacies themselves are
under strain, facing closures,
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00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,160
workforce shortages and even
insurance coverage that can
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00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,840
drive up out of pocket costs.
Public health agencies have a
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00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,000
critical role to play improving
reimbursement, supporting
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00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,360
pharmacy capacity, expanding
retail and alternative
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00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,880
distribution models, and
educating both consumers and
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00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,480
providers.
Learn more at the link in the
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00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,040
show notes.
Astos Organizational Strategic
215
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,360
Planning Guide provides health
agencies with an overview of the
216
00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,080
organizational strategic
planning process comprised of
217
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,400
seven major phases that an
organization should complete on
218
00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,680
a recurring basis to adapt and
refine their plans over time.
219
00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,320
This allows organizations to
remain responsible as their
220
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,800
needs and goals evolve.
In addition, the guide reviews
221
00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,800
keys to success and highlights
tips for addressing common
222
00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,080
challenges for each phase.
It helps organizations better
223
00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,880
navigate uncertainties,
anticipate challenges and
224
00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,040
achieve success in their
strategic planning.
225
00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,880
Find a link in the show notes.
This has been Public Health
226
00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,240
review Morning edition.
I'm John Sheehan for the
227
00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,120
Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials.