Sexual Health STDs Diagnosis STDs That Are Nationally Notifiable Diseases By Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Elizabeth Boskey, PhD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases. Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 31, 2021 Medically reviewed by Matthew Wosnitzer, MD Medically reviewed by Matthew Wosnitzer, MD on December 27, 2020 LinkedIn Twitter Matthew Wosnitzer, MD, is a board-certified urologic surgeon and physician scientist. He specializes in male infertility. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Nationally notifiable diseases are diseases that doctors are required to report to the CDC. Reporting these diseases to the government allows for their incidence to be monitored and tracked. That, hopefully, makes it easier for the government to intervene sooner rather than later. Disease reporting allows the government to efficiently become aware of outbreaks so they can improve the likelihood of early intervention. It is designed to balance privacy with the public's health. SelectStock / Getty Images STDs on the Nationally Notifiable Diseases Reporting List There are several sexually transmitted diseases on the nationally notifiable diseases reporting list. As of 2021, the reportable STDs are: Chlamydia - confirmed cases Chancroid - confirmed and probable cases Gonorrhea - confirmed and probable cases Hepatitis B - confirmed acute cases; both confirmed and probable chronic cases Hepatitis C - acute, past and present cases HIV - confirmed cases and possible perinatal exposures Syphilis - confirmed and probable cases STDs are not nationally notifiable diseases because the government wants to invade your privacy. They're nationally notifiable diseases because the government has a vested interest in protecting the public health. It is theoretically possible to reduce the spread of STDs through regular screening, prompt treatment, and efficient contact tracing. Therefore, the government wants to be aware of any concentrated epidemics or new outbreaks. This allows them to intervene with prevention and/or treatment measures most efficiently. For example, it was at least in part due to national disease reporting systems that scientists became aware of the HIV epidemic among heterosexual, African American residents of Washington DC. The population of the nation's capital, in the first decade of the 21st century, had HIV levels similar to those seen in Sub Saharan Africa. This realization has led to a number of targeted interventions designed at improving prevention, testing, and treatment in the District. The Best At-Home STD Tests Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021 National Notifiable Conditions. Greenberg AE, Hader SL, Masur H, Young AT, Skillicorn J, Dieffenbach CW. Fighting HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009;28(6):1677-87. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.28.6.1677