Even with advancements in the medical field, STDs are still a major health concern. While certain types of birth control can protect against STDs, many infections can still be transmitted even while taking precautions.
According to the World Health Organization, more than one million curable STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, are transmitted every day worldwide . Although modern medical professionals know more about STDs than previous generations did, the spread of these diseases is still prominent.
One concerning trend is the rise of STDs among older populations. Most STDs are preventable, but those who are past their child-bearing years may not be as concerned about the possibility of infection or be aware of how to protect themselves.
For those who are younger and still plan on having children, STDs can be incredibly harmful to their future health. Certain STDs, such as chlamydia, can even impact a person’s fertility when left untreated. In women, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease if the STD spreads to the womb. Pelvic inflammatory disease can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant and increase her chances of having an ectopic pregnancy.
In the US alone, there are millions of new infections each year. Additionally, STDs are on the rise in certain cities. (After this article, check out The 25 Unhealthiest Cities in America .)
Methodology:
To determine the cities where STDs are on the rise, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on chlamydia incidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Metropolitan statistical areas were ranked based on the change in the number of diagnosed cases of chlamydia – the most common STI, and an indicator of overall STI prevalence – per 100,000 residents from 2017 to 2022.
Data on population came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates program. Data was aggregated from the county level to the metropolitan statistical area level using boundary definitions from the Census Bureau. Supplemental data on the percentage of adults 25 years and over with at least a high school diploma came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and are one-year estimates. Data on the percentage of adults 18 and over who report came from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program and is based on data for 2021.
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 381.3 per 100,000 residents (+56.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.5%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.0%
- Total population: 461,049
Source: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 819.6 per 100,000 residents (+57.7 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.9%
- Total population: 323,826
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 530.9 per 100,000 residents (+60.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.4%
- Total population: 2,071,019
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 1,109.9 per 100,000 residents (+62.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.6%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 91.0%
- Total population: 390,472
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 648.0 per 100,000 residents (+67.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.1%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 91.5%
- Total population: 6,238,676
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 257.6 per 100,000 residents (+70.5 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 87.9%
- Total population: 556,660
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 457.6 per 100,000 residents (+71.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 74.3%
- Total population: 290,210
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 571.3 per 100,000 residents (+72.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.5%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 83.1%
- Total population: 98,194
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 739.5 per 100,000 residents (+74.9 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 90.1%
- Total population: 146,185
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 586.5 per 100,000 residents (+76.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.3%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.0%
- Total population: 269,892
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 730.6 per 100,000 residents (+77.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.7%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 83.2%
- Total population: 200,383
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 621.4 per 100,000 residents (+78.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 21.5%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 93.2%
- Total population: 976,309
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 660.6 per 100,000 residents (+78.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 75.6%
- Total population: 161,057
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 514.2 per 100,000 residents (+78.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.3%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 90.8%
- Total population: 168,596
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 630.9 per 100,000 residents (+79.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 13.8%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 86.4%
- Total population: 152,477
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 833.2 per 100,000 residents (+80.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.4%
- Total population: 348,296
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 412.3 per 100,000 residents (+81.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 91.1%
- Total population: 61,853
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 824.3 per 100,000 residents (+83.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.2%
- Total population: 848,112
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 660.6 per 100,000 residents (+83.4 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.1%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 93.2%
- Total population: 231,897
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 669.7 per 100,000 residents (+88.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 21.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.8%
- Total population: 830,352
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 753.3 per 100,000 residents (+89.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.0%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 80.3%
- Total population: 257,019
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 555.8 per 100,000 residents (+91.7 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.8%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 86.7%
- Total population: 136,564
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 443.0 per 100,000 residents (+97.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.8%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 80.8%
- Total population: 212,621
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 691.5 per 100,000 residents (+100.4 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.5%
- Total population: 372,687
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 549.9 per 100,000 residents (+100.7 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 22.0%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 96.0%
- Total population: 258,573
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 906.1 per 100,000 residents (+102.6 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.7%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.5%
- Total population: 149,646
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 465.0 per 100,000 residents (+108.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 93.2%
- Total population: 268,840
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 674.0 per 100,000 residents (+109.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 20.0%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 85.4%
- Total population: 412,641
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 980.2 per 100,000 residents (+110.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 90.4%
- Total population: 1,338,667
Source: Cheri Alguire / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 499.2 per 100,000 residents (+110.9 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.5%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.7%
- Total population: 76,320
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 787.0 per 100,000 residents (+115.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 14.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 90.1%
- Total population: 135,316
Source: Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 535.1 per 100,000 residents (+115.6 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.8%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 92.9%
- Total population: 199,230
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 585.1 per 100,000 residents (+118.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 22.6%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 93.9%
- Total population: 299,079
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 633.3 per 100,000 residents (+120.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 89.9%
- Total population: 420,054
Source: Z28scrambler / Wikimedia Commons
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 948.1 per 100,000 residents (+126.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.6%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 85.0%
- Total population: 136,799
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 887.5 per 100,000 residents (+126.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 16.8%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 86.5%
- Total population: 149,068
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 331.6 per 100,000 residents (+129.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 12.0%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 85.1%
- Total population: 112,189
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 870.1 per 100,000 residents (+164.7 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.1%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 89.1%
- Total population: 872,347
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 652.6 per 100,000 residents (+165.7 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 20.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.3%
- Total population: 143,737
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 813.1 per 100,000 residents (+166.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.5%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 84.6%
- Total population: 117,449
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 260.3 per 100,000 residents (+167.6 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.7%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 96.1%
- Total population: 232,078
Source: Geoff Eccles / Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 647.0 per 100,000 residents (+181.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 17.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 91.3%
- Total population: 98,303
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 743.7 per 100,000 residents (+190.8 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 22.1%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 95.1%
- Total population: 133,384
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 961.7 per 100,000 residents (+203.6 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 14.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 87.3%
- Total population: 233,952
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 479.2 per 100,000 residents (+205.1 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 21.7%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 94.0%
- Total population: 98,715
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- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 933.6 per 100,000 residents (+216.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 95.2%
- Total population: 101,333
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 562.2 per 100,000 residents (+238.9 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 91.7%
- Total population: 81,641
Source: fallbrook / Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 1,024.9 per 100,000 residents (+248.2 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.2%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 83.1%
- Total population: 144,209
Source: makasana / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 1,117.0 per 100,000 residents (+386.0 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 15.9%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 88.2%
- Total population: 103,936
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Chlamydia cases, 2022: 778.2 per 100,000 residents (+514.3 from 2017)
- Adults reporting excessive drinking: 14.4%
- Adults with at least a high school diploma: 86.2%
- Total population: 157,418
The post These are the US Cities Where STDs Are on the Rise appeared first on 24/7 Tempo .
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