3 North Carolina Cities Make Top 100 for STD Rates, Study Shows
A new Innerbody report using CDC data reveals three North Carolina cities landed among the top 100 in the country for STD rates. With 898.3 cases per 100,000 residents, North Carolina remains one of the ten states hit hardest.
Leading the pack at number 30, Greensboro saw 1,086 cases per 100,000 people. The numbers show 206 HIV cases, with chlamydia being the most common at 9,297 cases. Gonorrhea affected 3,901 individuals, while syphilis impacted 413 people.
Coming in at spot 37, Charlotte reached 1,014 cases per 100,000 residents, dropping from its previous rank of 42. The city recorded 407 HIV cases, a whopping 16,440 chlamydia cases, 7,238 gonorrhea infections, and 692 syphilis cases.
Raleigh landed at number 67, with 770 cases per 100,000 people. Though improving from its earlier rank of 61, the capital city still struggles with 248 HIV cases, 11,013 chlamydia cases, 4,297 gonorrhea infections, and 448 syphilis cases.
The South leads these rankings, with 14 Southern cities making the top 25 for STD rates. The region tops most high-risk categories, claiming seven of the top 10 spots for gonorrhea and eight for chlamydia.
The impact varies significantly across populations. While Black Americans represent just 12.6% of the population, they make up nearly a third, 32.4%, of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis cases.
In response, local health departments now offer free testing. Charlotte residents can pick up home test kits from the Mecklenburg County Health Department, while Wake County offers kits at various public health sites.
The entire home testing process typically takes two to five days. People can start their tests at home, collect their samples, and mail them to the lab.
