Which Cities Have The Highest STD Infection Rates?
When it comes to sexual education, the US ranks behind a lot of other developed nations. The Guttmacher Institute released a report last year, saying that the rate of abortion and teen pregnancy in the US rank among the highest in the developed world.
The lack of quality sex education in the United States helps explains why the number of STD patients has increased at a rapid pace recently. Despite numerous studies that question the wisdom of abstinence-only education, many cities and states in the US still focus on or exclusively teach abstinence rather than comprehensive sexual education. Keeping this in mind can add some context to the alarming recent STD rate increases in the United States (which is one of the main reasons why getting tested for STDs regularly is critically important for your health).
STD Rates Across the Country
Using gonorrhea and chlamydia infection rate statistics, Health Grove compiled the most recent data to see which cities have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases. This post will start from the city that is ranked number 30 and count down towards the city with the most STDs.
No. 30: San Juan, New Mexico
Population in the area is 128,476 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 59 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 760 in 100,000 people
No. 29: Anchorage, Alaska
Population in the area is 295,237 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 79 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 810 in 100,000 people
No. 28: San Francisco, California
Population in the area is 817,501 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 301 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 591 in 100,000 people
No. 27: Essex, New Jersey
Population in the area is 785,853 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 247 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 665 in 100,000 people
No. 26: Jefferson, Kentucky
Population in the area is 746,580 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 237 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 676 in 100,000 people
No. 25: Wyandotte, Kansas
Population in the area is 158,348 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 209 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 740 in 100,000 people
No. 24: Suffolk, Massachusetts
Population in the area is 735,701 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 142 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 817 in 100,000 people
No. 23: Comanche, Oklahoma
Population in the area is 124,591 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 214 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 776 in 100,000 people
No. 22: Denver, Colorado
Population in the area is 619,297 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 172 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 862 in 100,000 people
No. 21: Navajo, Arizona
Population in the area is 107,326 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 175 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 847 in 100,000 people
Read more about the dramatic increase in STD cases in Arizona during 2017 or find testing centers in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
No. 20: Pulaski, Arkansas
Population in the area is 386,106 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 284 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 801 in 100,000 people
No. 19: Richland, South Carolina
Population in the area is 389,708 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 236 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 845 in 100,000 people
No. 18: Leon, Florida
Population in the area is 278,624 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 189 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 903 in 100,000 people
No. 17: Hamilton, Ohio
Population in the area is 802,481 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 295 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 820 in 100,000 people
No. 16: Peoria, Illinois
Population in the area is 187,117 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 336 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 824 in 100,000 people
No. 15: Wayne, Michigan
Population in the area is 1,804,506 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 369 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 978 in 100,000 people
No. 14: Bibb, Georgia
Population in the area is 155,524 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 431 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 894 in 100,000 people
No. 13: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Population in the area is 950.527 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 329 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,054 in 100,000 people
No. 12: Shelby, Tennessee
Population in the area is 932,919 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 390 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,053 in 100,000 people
No. 11: Marion, Indiana
Population in the area is 912,242 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 360 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,100 in 100,000 people
No. 10: Bronx, New York
Population in the area is 1,397,315 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 257 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,209 in 100,000 people
No. 9: Cumberland, North Carolina
Population in the area is 322,033 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 361 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,107 in 100,000 people
No. 8: Baltimore, Maryland
Population in the area is 621,445 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 313 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,242 in 100,000 people
No. 7: Orleans Parish, Los Angeles
Population in the area is 357,013 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 388 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,162 in 100,000 people
No. 6: Bell, Texas
Population in the area is 316,144 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 348 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,237 in 100,000 people
No. 5: Richmond, Virginia
Population in the area is 207,878 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 360 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,311 in 100,000 people
No. 4: Hinds, Mississippi
Population in the area is 246,300 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 547 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,238 in 100,000 people
No. 3: Montgomery, Alabama
Population in the area is 228,980
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 563 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,252 in 100,000 people
No. 2: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Population in the area is 1,536,704 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 471 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,344 in 100,000 people
No. 1: St. Louis, Missouri
Population in the area is 318,955 people
Calculated Gonorrhea Rate: 554 in 100,000 people
Calculated Chlamydia Rate: 1,283 in 100,000 people
As you can see, St. Louis holds the first place in cities with most STD patients at this point. Seeing these numbers, it is obvious that people practice plenty of unprotected sex there, despite their sex education.
This list changes all the time. There is nothing constant about it. It is merely a snapshot of where things stand in August, 2017.
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