April 9-15 is STI Awareness Week. The coronavirus pandemic couldn’t stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and not much has changed since COVID-19 protocols have ended.
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STD rates have continued to climb year over year. Backgroundchecks.org analyzed the CDC’s data to determine which states had the most cases per 100,000 residents. It used “the most recent data available via the CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance and included cases for gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV as well as primary & secondary (P&S) syphilis.”
The numbers were not good for Georgia, which had the third highest number of cases at 1,657 per 100K residents. That comes to 147,340 total cases in the state, which is the fifth highest tally.
According to the data, Georgia had:
- 23,463 cases of gonorrhea (eighth highest)
- 62,582 cases of chlamydia (seventh highest)
- 1,757 cases of syphilis (fifth highest)
- 57,561 cases of HIV prevalence (fifth highest)
- 1,977 HIV diagnoses (fourth highest)
If there’s a reason to be optimistic, it could be that Georgia falls in the bottom half of the rankings — No. 28 — for average yearly increases in STDs since 2015. The Peach State’s 3.16% increase is not even half of No. 1 Iowa’s 8.39%.
Although abstinence is the most effective way to prevent STDs, the numbers suggest it isn’t a very popular method. Reducing how many sexual partners you have, practicing mutual monogamy and using a condom are all ways you can lessen your risk.
If you can’t reduce your risk, the CDC recommends you be tested at least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Women should be tested early in their pregnancy for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. People with multiple or anonymous partners should be tested every three to six months, the CDC recommends.
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