Sexually Transmitted Diseases  >  Tracking the Hidden Epidemics 2000 (1999 data)

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Status of STDs by City and State, 1999

Detailed national data by city and state are only available for nationally notifiable STDs. And while chlamydia became nationally notifiable in 1995, the data are currently more representative of trends in screening than of trends in disease. Because chlamydia often has no symptoms, cases are frequently identified only through screening. Therefore, high rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea may indicate more effective screening programs and the introduction of more sensitive tests, rather than higher incidence of disease. This section will therefore present the status of gonorrhea and syphilis by city and state. To provide an indication where chlamydia is currently the most common, data on the percentage of women who tested positive for chlamydia in family planning clinics also are provided on the overview maps. Other STDs, like genital herpes and HPV are known to be wide-spread across all states and communities.

Areas Currently Facing the Greatest Rates of Curable STDs

While national rates of syphilis have reached all-time lows, rates remain high in many areas, mainly in the south. Following a 72 percent decline in gonorrhea from 1975 to 1997, reported rates of the disease increased about nine percent from 1997 to 1999. Twelve cities lead the nation in reported rates of both diseases. When examining these data, it should be noted that the reported rates reflect the quality and completeness of surveillance data provided to CDC by state health departments, as well as the occurrence of disease in the community.

Many of these communities also face a significant threat from chlamydia, which remains widespread across much of the United States. The highest levels of chlamydia remain in states where screening and treatment have not been widely implemented.

STATES WITH HIGHEST RATES OF GONORRHEA AND SYPHILIS

Twenty-four states now have rates of gonorrhea that exceed the Healthy People 2000 goals for the nation, including the following states in order by rates per 100,000 people: South Carolina (392), Mississippi (378.3), Louisiana (301.9), Georgia (278), North Carolina (257.4), Alabama (250.2), Delaware (223.5), Tennessee (209.3), Maryland (203.1), Illinois (193.1), Texas (166.6), Michigan (162), Ohio (161.8), Florida (153.8), Missouri (150.5), Virginia (138.4), Wisconsin (127.5), Arkansas (127.1), Oklahoma (120.1), Pennsylvania (110.8), New York (109.1), Indiana (103.3), Connecticut (101.4) and Kansas (101.4). From 1997 to 1999, gonorrhea increased in the 18 states italicized above.

P&S Syphilis now exceeds the Healthy People 2000 goal for the nation in 11 states in order by rates per 100,000 people: Tennessee (11.8), Indiana (7.6), Louisiana (7.0), Mississippi (7.0), South Carolina (7.0), Maryland (6.7), North Carolina (6.1), Georgia (5.6), Oklahoma (5.6), Alabama (4.6) and Arizona (4.5). From 1997 to 1999, rates increased in the three states italicized above.

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