A new interactive map that shows sexually transmitted diseases across most major cities in the USA, was compiled by rent-application.com using 2013 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This map about STD statistics was created and produced by RentApplication.com.
“Despite our puritan heritage, Americans really love to have sex. It turns out, a lot of us like to have sex without protection, too,” researchers said. “Using publicly available data sources, we’ve mapped sexually transmitted diseases across most major cities in the USA.”
Overall, national data shows that an estimated 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in the country, but is the American society ready to openly tackle issues surrounding sexuality and STDs?
The study considered sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, researchers wrote. Herpes data was not collected. Rates were measured per 100,000 people, and cities with a high population density were chosen – leaving rural counties out of the picture.
Montgomery tops the list
Montgomery is the city with the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases in the nation, the new report found. The city had 4,371 reported cases of STDs, according to the CDC.
“It’s pretty sobering to look at those three as a total,” said Tom Miller, chief medical officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The total number of diseases per 100,000 in Montgomery is 1,899.20.
Other cities are not excelling either
Miller, who doesn’t readily recall a time Montgomery was No. 1 in the rankings for sexually transmitted diseases said: “Obviously, we stay at the wrong end of the state rankings.”
He noted that it’s hard to quantify how much is contributed by specific groups, but that a certain difference should be made between STDs coming from permanent or transitory residences of the Montgomery area. The number of STD cases has gradually declined as a result of educational programs such as the CDC’s Expedited Partner Therapy model.
Statewide, the 2013 numbers from the CDC aren’t much better.
Following Montgomery is St. Louis, West Memphis, Arkansas, ranked third. Several in the top 10 are in the southern region of the U.S, and data includes three cities with a large military population.
Are STDs taboo in America?
According to various CDC reports, sexually transmitted diseases are “hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic consequence in the United States”.
Hidden because many Americans are reluctant to address sexual health issues in an open way. Cases of sexually transmitted diseases are not routinely reported. This results in most annual surveillance studies capturing only a little fragment of the true burden of STDs in America.
Do you know of any initiatives tackling sexually transmitted diseases? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
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