These are the states where you’re most at risk of catching a sexually transmitted infection
Some places carry a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases — where does your home state land?
New data from Universal Drugstore revealed the STD hotspots across the country, according to the company’s “Sexual Health Index.”
Mississippi, for one, was ranked as the “worst affected” by sexually transmitted infections, with one of the highest chlamydia rates in the nation of 700 cases per 100,000 people.
The southern state, which was assigned a rating of 9.64 out of 10, also had the lowest rate for HPV vaccination, ringing in at 38.5% — over 20% lower than the country’s average.
Trailing behind was the northern state of Alaska, which was given a score of 8.47. While its low STI case number is deceiving, the small population size makes its rates” one of the worst affected.
In Alaska, rates of gonorrhea infection are 251.1 per 100,000 people, while rates of chlamydia are 700.9 per 100,000 residents.
In third place is North Carolina, with a score of 8.37 and a chlamydia infection rate of nearly 608 in 100,000 people, followed by Alabama in fourth, Arkansas in fifth, and Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida rounding out the top 10.
HIV, the incurable virus that can lead to AIDS if not treated, is most prevalent in Georgia, with 23.1 cases per 100,000 residents, a figure that is more than double the national average. On the other hand, Minnesota has the fewest HIV cases, with only 4.5 per 100,000 people.
However, HIV infections have increased the most in Arkansas, which saw a 66.7% surge in cases since 2018.
For reference, according to Universal Drugstore, the US as a whole saw a 13.5% decline in HIV cases between 2018 and 2020.
The prescription company also broke down infection rates by age groups, revealing that people aged 20 to 24 comprised the most cases of chlamydia, with 542,040 reported infections.
The same age range also had the highest reported number of gonorrhea infection, which was reported to be 142,526 cases.
Dr. Jamie Winn, the medical director at Universal Drugstore, believes that comprehensive sex education is key to informing young people about the risks of STIs — and how to prevent them — considering the “rampant STI rates across the country.”
“While it is true that abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs, teenagers are notoriously experimental, so it is careless to think that this form of sex education alone will make a positive difference,” Winn said in a statement.
“Having access to a comprehensive sex education curriculum gives students the information they need to be safe if they choose to explore, aiding both personal development and mental well-being.”
