State and local governments beg for help with surprising spike in STDs

State and local officials are begging Congress and federal agencies to spend more money to halt an alarming rise in sexually transmitted infections, which have climbed steadily over four years to reach a record high.

“We are basically all expressing the same concern and expressing the need for urgent action,” said Dr. Nate Smith, president-elect for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “This is something that is not going to go away on its own.”