10 States with the Highest STD Rates

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) released its latest Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report along with new data on the number of reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases across the United States. Their research team analyzed the latest statistics on a state-by-state basis and developed the 2023 list of the top states 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: Between 2021 and 2022, the rate of chlamydia cases held largely steady, and the rate of gonorrhea infections fell 9.2%. A drop in total gonorrhea cases was the first in at least a decade, according to a statement from Dr. Laura Bachmann, acting director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. But Bachmann said officials would examine whether it marked “a true decline in infections” or was tied to changes in diagnoses and reporting. The continued growth in syphilis cases is of particular concern, especially in light of potential funding cuts that could hamper efforts to curb sexually transmitted diseases: The country’s 207,255 cases marked its highest total since 1950, according to the CDC, while the rate of primary and secondary...