Several notable cities in Pennsylvania have emerged as hot spots for sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, which is caused by the bacteria pictured and enlarged above.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Pennsylvania’s largest city has emerged as a hot spot for sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S., according to a new study.
Philadelphia ranks fifth on the list of the top 100 U.S. cities with the highest rates of STDs. The findings come as part of the latest installment of an annual report from Innerbody Research that examines factors and data regarding the viruses, which infect more than 20 million Americans each year.
The study’s data, provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicate minority racial and ethnic groups are more likely to contract STDs than their white counterparts. For example, non-Hispanic Black people account for about 12% of the U.S. population, but comprised nearly 32% of the nation’s chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea infections last year, the report says.
In a statement, CDC officials said systemically reduced access to health care services plays a significant role in the differences in rates of infection between racial and ethnic groups.
“Focusing on hard-hit populations is critical to reducing disparities,” said Jo Valentine, the CDC’s director of the Office of Health Equity. “To effectively reduce these disparities, the social, cultural, and economic conditions that make it more difficult for some populations to stay healthy must be addressed. These include poverty, unstable housing, drug use, lack of medical insurance or regular medical provider, and high burden of STDs in some communities.”
Innerbody’s research found Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina, which rank among the lowest in health care spending per capita, accounted for the report’s three highest STD rates.
Breaking down the data in Pennsylvania
According to the annual study, Philadelphia observed 1,200 STD cases per 100,000 residents in 2022. The city’s population crossed 1.6 million for the 2020 U.S. Census.
Innerbody’s report broke down the City of Brotherly Love’s STD cases as follows for four of the most common viruses:
HIV cases: 562Chlamydia cases: 28,827Gonorrhea cases: 11,824Syphilis cases: 1,616
Memphis, Tenn., reported the worst STD infection rate in the country, according to Innerbody’s report. Jackson, Miss., and Columbia, S.C., followed in second and third, respectively.
A few additional Pennsylvania cities landed on the report’s list, though none fell into the top 25. Here’s a quick breakdown for each:
Easton, Pa. (No. 79)
STD cases per 100,000 residents: 540HIV cases: 34Chlamydia cases: 2,772Gonorrhea cases: 825Syphilis cases: 81
Harrisburg, Pa. (No. 80)
STD cases per 100,000 residents: 539HIV cases: 40Chlamydia cases: 2,941Gonorrhea cases: 883Syphilis cases: 102
Pittsburgh, Pa. (No. 85)
Scranton, Pa. (No. 93)
STD safety and prevention
Most STDs are curable, but all are treatable, the CDC says. Still, it is wise to take steps to prevent contracting an STD in your day-to-day life.
The surest way to avoid STDs is to avoid having sex entirely, the CDC says. STDs can be transmitted through vaginal, oral or anal sex.
Those who regularly have sex can take additional steps to lower the risk of contracting an STD, including wearing a condom, talking with your partner, reducing your number of sexual partners or practicing mutual monogamy, better known as limiting sexual activities to only one person. Being in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is one of the most reliable ways to avoid an STD, the CDC advises.
Vaccines are available to help prevent cases of hepatitis B and HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. Children ages 11 and 12 are advised to receive two doses of the HPV vaccine between 6 and 12 months apart.
HPV vaccination is not recommended for those older than 26, the CDC says. Vaccination of adults is less effective “because more people in this age range were exposed to HPV already.”
The hepatitis B vaccine, meanwhile, is available for all age groups.
STD testing is widely available for those who think they have been infected. Testing is encouraged because many STDs lack physical symptoms and may be found only through a closer examination. The CDC recommends talking with your health care provider to find a testing option that works for you.
The CDC maintains a searchable online list of recommended STD tests. You can find a testing location near you by visiting gettested.cdc.gov.
Matt is a 2022 Penn State graduate. Before arriving at the Centre Daily Times, he served as Onward State’s managing editor and a general assignment reporter at StateCollege.com.
Discovered on: 2023-03-22 17:51:40
Source: 5 PA cities rank among the nation’s biggest STD hot spots
