KNOXVILLE — According to the CDC, over 2,000,000 Americans were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in 2016 more than ever before.
"We continue to see rates of STIs slightly increase," Dr. Buchannan. Director of Knox County Health Department, said.
Those STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. The most common reportable STI in Knox County is chlamydia, with cases growing each year by the hundreds.
If you compare all of last years reportable STIs to just the first six months of this year, there are already more cases of HIV. The number of syphilis and gonorrhea cases aren't much lower than all of 2017, either.
Experts said it's hard to say if the numbers will skyrocket or plummet from here on out.
"We see trends, but trends go up one month and down one month, so we like to see the end results at the end of the year," Dr. Buchannan said.
As far as why these numbers are going up, Dr. Buchannan said unsafe sex is one reason along with several others.
"Like not being in a monogamous relationship, not knowing you or your partners status, making poor choices, therefore ending up with the result of an STI," Dr. Buchannan said.
Other, less obvious factors are dating apps. Some health experts attribute some of the numbers to how increasing numbers of people interact and find partners on casual dating apps and social media.
Gail Bolan with the CDC said this in 2017: "The way our society is forming partners is now through using a lot of social media, and that is affecting the sexual transmission dynamics we are seeing."
Outside practicing safe sex and using a condom, the Knox County Health Department Director said there are several other ways to avoid STIs.
"Those things are being monogamous, abstinent or being tested regularly if you have multiple partners," Dr. Buchannan said.