STD surveillance data are critical for helping to guide programmatic and policy decisions.

Objectives of Symposium:

To describe the latest trends for each of the three major notifiable STDs and to describe the programmatic and policy implications of the changing epidemiology of these diseases.

Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research:

Recent increases in gonorrhea and syphilis suggest new patterns of disease over the last several years that may require state and local programs to reassess their efforts. The continued high prevalence of chlamydia has raised questions about the effectiveness of current screening programs.