Be careful on Valentine’s Day—the U.S. Centers for Disease Control just announced that the number of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has risen to 20 million nationwide each year.  

15-24 year-olds are responsible for half of those infections, leading the CDC to urge abstinence or at least safe sex.

The list of diseases is most dominated by human papillomavirus (HPV), then chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, HIV, and trichomoniasis.

One scientist at the CDC bluntly stated that the nation is in the middle of an “ongoing, severe STI epidemic.”

The cost of these diseases nationwide is estimated at $16 billion, with the bulk of it derived from healthcare for those with HIV/AIDS.