2 Indiana Cities Among Highest in the Country for STD Rates
When it comes to health and wellness, our sexual health should be a priority. Across the country, sexually transmitted infections are on the rise, and Indiana is no exception.
Who Is At Risk?
Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for sexually transmitted infections. In the United States alone, there are over 110 million people currently infected and a staggering 20 million new infections are reported each year. Some infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea, if left untreated, can result in infertility.
All Sexually Transmitted Infections are Preventable
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), sometimes also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are incredibly common. While not all STDs are curable, all of them are preventable.
To protect yourself against STDs, the CDC suggests a number of options including abstinence, mutual monogamy, vaccines, and condom use. Learn more about STD prevention and treatment at CDC.gov.
STDs pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and anal sex. They also can spread through intimate physical contact like heavy petting, though this is not very common. STDs don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms. Therefore, it is possible to have an infection and not know it. That is why getting an STD test is important if you are having sex. If you receive a positive STD diagnosis, know that all are treatable with medicine and some are curable entirely. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Southern States Are Some of the Most Hard Hit
In a 2024 study performed by Innerbody, the statistics show which cities across the nation have the highest rates of STDs. The southern portion of the country is home to some of the hardest-hit cities, and the year-over-year numbers are climbing.
Last year, for instance, 14 of the 25 U.S. cities with the highest STD infection rates were in the South. That means a region with roughly 39% of our nation's population contributes over half of the 25 cities with the worst STD infection rates. But this year, the number of southern cities has risen to 17 of that top 25, or just over two-thirds.
Most Prevalent STDs
Innerbody also breaks down some other key information, including which STDs are the most prevalent. There have been over 710,000 new cases of gonorrhea reported, and over 1.6 million new cases of chlamydia. Perhaps, most staggering though is the enormous increase in syphilis cases, including a heartbreaking number of cases in newborn children which have jumped 464% in the last twenty years.
Meanwhile, syphilis rates have risen by a massive 28.6% since the last study. But the rise in the congenital syphilis rate nationally is even more staggering (30.5%), constituting a tenfold increase in newborn syphilis cases over the span of a decade. These numbers mean that, since 2001, syphilis cases in our nation have increased 781%. Cases of congenital syphilis during that 20-year span rose by 464%.
Where Does Indiana Fall on the List
While Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Memphis, Tennessee, and Jackson, Mississippi take the top three spots on the list, if we scroll a bit further down the list, we find not one but two Hoosier cities on the list of US cities with the highest STD rates.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana in the number 32 spot on the list (down from #20 in 2023). However, don't let that twelve spot move fool you - the number of reported cases still saw an increase. From 950 reported STD cases per 100,000 people in the city in 2023, to 1,003 reported cases per 100,000 people in 2024. Chlamydia cases rose from 13,021 to 13,783 in 2024. Likewise, the number of reported HIV cases saw a rise from 196 in 2023 to 286 in 2024, and the number of reported cases of gonorrhea jumped from 5,746 cases in 2023 to 6,222 in 2024. Additionally, there have been 410 reported cases of syphilis in Indianapolis.
Gary and Fort Wayne
In 2023, Gary, Indiana ranked in the 55th position, and Fort Wayne wasn't even in the top 100. Things are a little different in 2024. Gary fell off the list and Fort Wayne has made its appearance on the list in the #77 position. For every 100,000 residents in Fort Wayne, there are 662 reported cases of STDs, including 20 cases of HIV, 2,706 cases of chlamydia, 996 cases of gonorrhea, and 11 cases of syphilis.
What to Do If You Suspect You Have an STD
If you suspect you may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease, you can find resources regarding testing by visiting the CDC website or by contacting your local health department.
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Gallery Credit: Hannah Lang
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