Mississippi’s STD rates among the highest in the nation

MIssissippi’s rates of the most common sexually transmitted diseases are among the worst in the nation.

A new analysis of 2017 data (the latest available) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Health Testing Centers shows that sexually transmitted diseases are at record highs across the nation.

“Infections and diseases contracted through sexual activity are highly preventable,” the company, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., wrote on its website.  “Still, STD rates continue to hit record highs. The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proved 2017 to be the year with the most reported STD cases to date, with rates of gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia increasing dramatically.”

Nationwide during the past year, rates of chlamydia increased by 6.9 percent, while syphilis rose by 15.3 percent and gonorrhea by a startling 18.6 percent.

Mississippi ranks at or near the top for the states for each of those diseases. The Magnolia state was no. 1 for gonorrhea, with a rate of 309.8 per 100,000 residents, close to double the national average rate of 171.9. We’re no. 3 for chlamydia at a rate of 707.6, which is 25 percent higher than the national rate of 528.8, and no. 2 for syphilis rates among women at 5.7. The syphilis rate for men in considerably higher overall, bringing the national rate to 31.4 percent.

The analysis showed the counties with the greatest increases and decreases in STDs and also broke down the CDC data by gender and age.

“All three STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) were most prevalent among 15- to 29-year-old men and women, for men in slightly older age g`roups than women,” the authors wrote. “Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were most common in women aged 20 to 24, affecting 38.5 percent, 32.1 percent, and 22.8 percent of the demographic, respectively. For men, chlamydia and gonorrhea were more common among those aged 20 to 24, but syphilis affected slightly older men. Twenty-three percent of men between the ages of 25 and 29 reported a diagnosis of syphilis, but rates increased again in men aged 45 to 54.”

To see the full analysis, click here.

To view the CDC data used for the analysis, click here.