Background/Purpose:Surveillance data should provide evidence from which programmatic and policy decisions are made. Yet obtaining complete, accurate, and useful data can be challenging.

Objectives of Symposium: To describe trends for each of the three major notifiable STDs, the limitations of surveillance data associated with each, and how those limitations are being addressed.

Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: Increases in syphilis and the large number of reported chlamydia and gonorrhea cases are stretching the resources of state and local programs. Innovative approaches in surveillance are needed to better understand who is being impacted by disease and where new cases are emerging.