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These U.S. Cities Have the Highest STD Rates

These U.S. Cities Have the Highest STD RatesPhoto by Joey Csunyo

Originally Posted On: https://www.innerbody.com/std-testing/std-statistics

 

Our research team dives deep into the C.D.C.’s latest STD Surveillance Statistics and provides our analysis of current trends.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) recently released its latest Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report along with new data on the number of reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases across U.S. counties and metro areas.

Innerbody.com’s research team analyzed the latest statistics on a city-by-city basis and developed our list of the top 100 cities with the highest STD rates along with key trends. But before we get to the rankings, here are some findings and trends that we observed:

STD rates continue to run rampant in the South. Nearly half of the top 25 cities with the highest STD rates in the South.

California led all states with the most cities in the Top 100 with seven cities. Ohio and Texas tied for the second most cities, both of which had six each. For more information about how individual states stack up in terms of highest and lowest STD rates, check out our recently published State STD Rankings.

The cities with the biggest jump in rankings since last year include:

  1. Columbus, GA up 17 spots from 32nd  15th
  2. Jackson, MS up 13 spots from 15th  2nd
  3. San Francisco, CA up 12 spots from 16th  4th
  4. Milwaukee, WI up 11 spots from 18th  7th
  5. Baltimore, MD up 5 spots from 6th  1st

In terms of total STD cases (again, including HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea only), the top five cities are:

A conceptual depiction of three generations of a family
  1. Los Angeles, CA (92,401)
  2. Chicago, IL (58,322)
  3. Houston, TX (36,710)
  4. Phoenix, AZ (34,973)
  5. Philadelphia, PA (28,866)

We also noticed that three of the top 10 cities are relatively small (Augusta, GAKilleen TX, and Shreveport, LA), but share one thing in common: they are home to relatively large military bases.

According to the CDC, over 2.4 million combined STD cases were reported across the U.S. in 2018 alone. However, many STDs are asymptomatic, which means they have no obvious symptoms (examples include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HPV). And other STDs such as HIV and syphilis can be active inside your body before signs of the infection become apparent. Therefore, these statistics do not include the thousands of people who currently have an STD, but do not know it.

As an aside, the CDC stresses that: “If you are sexually active, getting tested for STDs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STD testing with your doctor…” If you are uncomfortable talking with your doctor or just can’t find the time to go get tested, an increasingly popular option is to take an at-home STD test.

Without further ado, here are the Top 100 cities with the highest STD rates:

The Top 20 U.S. Cities with the Highest STD Rates#1Baltimore, MDBaltimore, MD
  • STD Cases / 100K2,004
  • Metro Population602,495
  • HIV Cases207
  • Chlamydia Cases7,636
  • Gonorrhea Cases4,231
  • Syphilis Cases210
#2Jackson, MSJackson, MS
  • STD Cases / 100K1,872
  • Metro Population237,085
  • HIV Cases86
  • Chlamydia Cases3,057
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,330
  • Syphilis Cases52
#3Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia, PA
  • STD Cases / 100K1,822
  • Metro Population1,584,138
  • HIV Cases499
  • Chlamydia Cases21,119
  • Gonorrhea Cases7,288
  • Syphilis Cases459
#4San Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
  • STD Cases / 100K1,754
  • Metro Population883,305
  • HIV Cases246
  • Chlamydia Cases9,137
  • Gonorrhea Cases5,775
  • Syphilis Cases584
#5Montgomery, ALMontgomery, AL
  • STD Cases / 100K1,731
  • Metro Population225,763
  • HIV Cases71
  • Chlamydia Cases2,828
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,045
  • Syphilis Cases36
#6Augusta, GAAugusta, GA
  • STD Cases / 100K1,675
  • Metro Population201,554
  • HIV Cases59
  • Chlamydia Cases2,297
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,045
  • Syphilis Cases34
#7Milwaukee, WIMilwaukee, WI
  • STD Cases / 100K1,657
  • Metro Population948,201
  • HIV Cases134
  • Chlamydia Cases10,928
  • Gonorrhea Cases4,706
  • Syphilis Cases77
#8Killeen, TXKilleen, TX
  • STD Cases / 100K1,644
  • Metro Population355,642
  • HIV Cases52
  • Chlamydia Cases4,190
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,630
  • Syphilis Cases26
#9Shreveport, LAShreveport, LA
  • STD Cases / 100K1,615
  • Metro Population242,922
  • HIV Cases80
  • Chlamydia Cases2,722
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,145
  • Syphilis Cases55
#10Indianapolis, INIndianapolis, IN
  • STD Cases / 100K1,613
  • Metro Population954,670
  • HIV Cases228
  • Chlamydia Cases10,536
  • Gonorrhea Cases4,691
  • Syphilis Cases168
#11New York (Bronx), NYNew York (Bronx), NY
  • STD Cases / 100K1,609
  • Metro Population1,432,132
  • HIV Cases498
  • Chlamydia Cases17,711
  • Gonorrhea Cases4,941
  • Syphilis Cases388
#12Fayetteville, NCFayetteville, NC
  • STD Cases / 100K1,559
  • Metro Population332,330
  • HIV CasesN/A
  • Chlamydia Cases3,646
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,486
  • Syphilis Cases49
#13New York (Manhattan), NYNew York (Manhattan), NY
  • STD Cases / 100K1,542
  • Metro Population1,628,701
  • HIV Cases393
  • Chlamydia Cases16,670
  • Gonorrhea Cases7,845
  • Syphilis Cases596
#14Tallahassee, FLTallahassee, FL
  • STD Cases / 100K1,502
  • Metro Population292,502
  • HIV Cases64
  • Chlamydia Cases3,342
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,031
  • Syphilis Cases20
#15Columbus, GAColumbus, GA
  • STD Cases / 100K1,440
  • Metro Population194,160
  • HIV Cases81
  • Chlamydia Cases1,820
  • Gonorrhea Cases955
  • Syphilis Cases20
#16Peoria, ILPeoria, IL
  • STD Cases / 100K1,421
  • Metro Population180,621
  • HIV Cases8
  • Chlamydia Cases1,669
  • Gonorrhea Cases891
  • Syphilis Cases7
#17Washington DCWashington DC
  • STD Cases / 100K1,393
  • Metro Population1,773,266
  • HIV Cases630
  • Chlamydia Cases17,480
  • Gonorrhea Cases6,803
  • Syphilis Cases426
#18Columbia, SCColumbia, SC
  • STD Cases / 100K1,390
  • Metro Population414,576
  • HIV Cases106
  • Chlamydia Cases4,040
  • Gonorrhea Cases1,669
  • Syphilis Cases55
#19Denver, CODenver, CO
  • STD Cases / 100K1,379
  • Metro Population716,492
  • HIV Cases153
  • Chlamydia Cases6,928
  • Gonorrhea Cases2,821
  • Syphilis Cases133
#20Birmingham, ALBirmingham, AL
  • STD Cases / 100K1,372
  • Metro Population659,300
  • HIV Cases141
  • Chlamydia Cases6,031
  • Gonorrhea Cases2,920
  • Syphilis Cases97
Other Cites with High STD rates (rankings: 21 – 100)
RankMetro AreaSTD Cases / 100KMetro PopulationHIV CasesChlamydia CasesGonorrhea CasesSyphilis Cases
21Memphis, TN1,371935,7642449,0033,694135
22Little Rock, AR1,357392,6801123,6251,63273
23Macon, GA1,353153,095431,52552621
24New Orleans, LA1,325825,0573037,6913,056185
25Greensboro, NC1,313533,670N/A4,9851,907113
26Cleveland, OH1,3101,243,85715611,0445,097158
27Anchorage, AK1,308291,538N/A2,5231,2829
28Kansas City, MO1,306700,3071045,8563,146146
29Detroit, MI1,2641,753,89332115,6366,349179
30Cincinnati, OH1,263816,6841916,8613,38171
31Baton Rouge, LA1,251440,9561704,0571,38773
32Richmond, VA1,231558,0441034,7902,00077
33Waco, TX1,196254,607352,12590712
34Savannah, GA1,181289,195792,54780463
35Kalamazoo, MI1,178264,870192,2548598
36St. Louis, MO1,1941,560,84226412,4095,710249
37Toledo, OH1,169429,899433,3031,69328
38Lubbock, TX1,129307,412352,42999151
39Grand Rapids, MI1,127173,588N/A1,3845684
40Chicago, IL1,1265,180,49389842,42214,920980
41Charlotte, NC1,1221,093,9012708,8283,181265
42Lexington, KY1,107323,780412,4461,08851
43Atlanta, GA1,1052,300,3441,01317,2447,441740
44New York (Brooklyn), NY1,1032,582,83063721,1376,824519
45Jacksonville, FL1,088950,1813046,9253,239170
46Louisville, KY1,086770,5171285,4452,790129
47Columbus, OH1,0821,310,3002389,4094,444321
48Oklahoma City, OK1,069792,5821115,6932,606176
49Mobile, AL1,065413,757823,0321,32748
50Champaign, IL1,064209,983161,70451813
51Gainesville, FL1,057269,956532,19161844
52Albuquerque, NM1,049678,701314,9322,079107
53Bakersfield, CA1,046896,7641496,8662,264251
54Norfolk, VA1,038936,8991597,2412,40677
55Newark, NJ1,022799,7673036,0642,01598
56Austin, TX1,0061,248,7432218,9463,306310
57Tulsa, OK991648,360694,2452,11170
58Springfield, MO980291,923112,02081922
59Fresno, CA979994,4001587,1982,261279
60Dallas, TX9722,637,77281418,4176,800417
61Pensacola, FL950315,534612,12482745
62Rochester, NY934742,474644,9881,89159
63Rockford, IL932284,081261,9806599
64Orlando, FL9321,380,6455079,5233,100243
65Omaha, NE928566,880N/A3,6701,57513
66Flint, MI922406,892342,75198121
67Greenville, SC920514,213653,1621,52247
68Portland, OR917811,880825,1982,086159
69Los Angeles, CA91410,105,5181,52764,30226,1031,996
70Nashville, TN914692,5871274,5671,656109
71Columbia, MO912180,005181,3283104
72Evansville, IN901180,974N/A1,1744498
73Minneapolis, MN9001,259,4281318,1563,028152
74San Antonio, TX8961,986,04935812,9864,496314
75South Bend, IN890270,771191,6857206
76Charleston, SC882405,905812,73879348
77Des Moines, IA876487,204303,1091,11941
78Sacramento, CA8751,540,9751339,8523,342287
79Huntsville, AL871366,519432,25888054
80Wichita, KS857513,607243,0491,31042
81Knoxville, TN853465,289502,6001,33338
82Lansing, MI853292,735251,90256529
83Dayton, OH852532,331633,1541,34635
84Fort Wayne, IN847375,351242,2389393
85Yakima, WA836251,446241,65842915
86Buffalo, NY834919,719915,5712,03956
87Lafayette, IN825193,04881,18140110
88Worcester, MA819470,406442,7401,06054
89San Diego, CA8193,343,36440420,8325,973585
90Lafayette, LA817242,782531,42353228
91Tacoma, WA815891,299495,4211,77466
92Myrtle Beach, SC814344,147701,83294426
93Tuscaloosa, AL804653,786464,0851,13634
94Akron, OH802541,918433,1751,13237
95Riverside, CA8002,171,60321013,1443,978242
96New York (Queens), NY7992,278,90644214,4213,513267
97Tucson, AZ7981,039,0731156,6251,570100
98Albany, NY797307,117341,87751951
99Fort Lauderdale, FL7971,951,26068111,2833,933328
100Chattanooga, TN794364,286371,92292842
How We Collected Data for This Report

All of the STD data found in this report, including case statistics for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, are from the C.D.C.’s latest data release from October 2019. Syphilis data includes only primary and secondary syphilis cases and does not include congenital and early latent syphilis cases. HIV cases are not reported for some cities. Statistics for other relatively common STDs, such as herpes, are not collected by the C.D.C. at this time and hence are left out of our analysis. For more information about which statistics the C.D.C. does and does not track, see its STD Data & Statistics page.

All estimated metro area and state population data is from the C.D.C. and the US Census Bureau. For our interactive map, our research team decided to use counties as visual proxies for most metro areas. The C.D.C. does not have STD data for all US counties.

For our “Top 100 Rankings,” we chose to only include city metro areas with an estimated population of 150,000 or more. Though Washington, DC is technically a district, we chose to include it as a city. Also, since New York City is relatively large in size and the C.D.C. breaks down STD cases there by borough, we made the editorial decision to treat each borough as its own metro area for ranking purposes. No statistical testing was used during the production of this research.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats18/default.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/default.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/default.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/default.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/default.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/appendix-c.htm
https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/nchhstpatlas/tables.html
https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-counties-total.html

Additional STD Resources

STD Information:
STD Symptoms & Causes from the Mayo Clinic
STD Guide from Planned Parenthood
STD Awareness for Teens from KidsHealth
STD Testing Resources:
Mayo Clinic: STD Testing Guide
Planned Parenthood: STD Testing
Innerbody: STD Testing At-Home Guide
STD Testing Companies:
LetsGetChecked Review | MyLAB Box Review
STDcheck Review | Everlywell Review
BlueChew Review | BlueChew Free Trial

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