11 States With The Highest STD Rates in America

America loves sex, but doesn’t seem to think much about protection, especially in the states with the highest STD rates in America. Sexually transmitted diseases are not just dangerous, they are costly as well, and it is estimated that the cost of STDs is around $16 billion a year. There are around 30 million infections that take place every year, and around half of them are among people between the ages of 15-24. Young people are not really known for their patience or precaution and in this case, the stereotype apparently seems true.

STDs seem to be very discriminatory not just in respect to age, as we mentioned, but gender as well. While men suffer from a reputation that they are way more promiscuous than women, the truth is that women are actually more likely to contract an STD, and are also more likely to contract STDs. On the other hand, STDs are often mild and show little to no symptoms which is why it might be possible that a large percentage of people do not even know that they are infected.

STDs are also pretty racist apparently, with various racial and ethnic groups such as American Indians and African Americans more likely to be the victim of such STDs. This might be due to the fact that these groups are more likely to face poverty and be uneducated which is why there is a lack of awareness of these infections. STDs like to kick a guy when he’s down. Or more likely a woman.

Even now, while you’d consider America to be a liberal country, STDs are still often considered to be a taboo topic, and many people avoid talking about it at all. This leads to a lack of awareness, and the lack of knowledge can be very dangerous. After all, there was a time when people, due to a lack of information, thought that AIDS could be transferred through physical contact such as a handshake, which led to people who were known to suffer from the disease being treated like social pariahs. If you want to learn more about HIV and AIDS in America, head on over to the 11 States with the Highest HIV Rates in America.

As you might have suspected, colleges are often a breeding ground for STDs, no pun intended. Universities which are popular for their lack of sexual health include the University of Notre Dame and Duke University.

There are three main sexually transmitted diseases – chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. We have considered the states where these three diseases are the most prevalent overall. To manage that, we consulted the Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015, which shows the number of cases for each disease in each state. We then calculated the average ranking for each state for all three diseases, and selected the top 10 to confirm the states which have the unfortunate distinction of having the highest STD rates. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the states where sex might have a more lasting impact than you wish, here are the states with the highest STD rates in America. 

11. Texas

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 523.6

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 147.13

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 6.2

Insider Monkey Score: 1.33

Texas may be considered to be a very conservative state, and the stigma associated with STDs may have inadvertently led to an increase in their rates. The rates of STDs are steadily increasing in some of the biggest counties in Texas, with more than 11,000 cases of chlamydia in Bexar County alone. Chlamydia seems to be the most prevalent STD in Texas, and its growing rate is a significant cause for concern.

9. Illinois

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 540.4

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 133

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 8.4

Insider Monkey Score: 2.33

Illinois has always been a hub for STDs, and has consistently ranked among the states with the highest STD rates in the US in the past decade. Even though official awareness programs such as National STD Awareness Month were launched, it seems to have had little effect and much more needs to be done by the state in order to bring down the rates.

9. Alabama

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 543.6

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 148.4

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 5.8

Insider Monkey Score: 2.33

Alabama is another state which needs to do more to protect its citizens from STDs, and it seems that putting up billboards has not really helped bring down the rate. In fact, Alabama is home to Montgomery, which in 2013, had the highest STD rates in the entire nation! The state has recently undertaken to provide vaccinations for various possible STDs, while promoting monogamy and condoms in order to reduce the risk of STDs.

8. Oklahoma

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 542.2

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 168.7

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 5.4

Insider Monkey Score: 2.67

Up next in our list of states with the highest STD rates in America is Oklahoma that has always had a problem with STDs, and hence it may be assumed, with safe sex. The concerning fact is that there has been a vast increase in first and second stage syphilis in the state from 2013 to 2015, with a 77% increase being noted in this time period.

7. New York

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 524.7

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 129.4

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 10.2

Insider Monkey Score: 3.00

A large number of people in New York that ranks 7th in our list of states with the highest STD rates in America, has resulted in thousands of cases of STDs, and if we did not account population, New York would top the list of states with the most STD cases. Gonorrhea and syphilis have been increasing at a startling rate in the country, with the diseases especially prevalent among gay men, minorities and young people. Chlamydia is the fastest growing STD in the state, and around 1.5 million cases were reported in 2015 alone.

6. California

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 487.5

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 139.5

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 12.6

Insider Monkey Score: 3.33

In 2015, nearly a quarter of a million STD cases were reported in the state of California, and was the second straight year in which the rates for all three diseases increased significantly. The main reasons behind this increase in STDs are the facts that condom use is on the decline in the state, and that people prefer to have multiple partners instead of boring old monogamy. Men who have sex with men are the people most likely to be at risk of the diseases, and they accounted for 62% of the total gonorrhea diseases and 84% of both primary and secondary syphilis in the male population of the state.

5. South Carolina

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 569.9

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 169.8

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 6.1

Insider Monkey Score: 5.00

South Carolina knows it has a problem with STDs and hence, it has enacted laws to deal with the issue. If a person, who has already been infected, willingly or knowingly exposes another person to the disease (while the law does not specify it, this probably means engaging in sexual intercourse), then the person has committed a felony and will be charged accordingly. According to the statistics, South Carolina takes the fifth positions among the states with the highest STD rates in America.

4. Mississippi

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 580.2

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 192.9

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 7.3

Insider Monkey Score: 8.00

If you are from Mississippi, the next one in our list of states with the highest STD rates in America, it might be a good idea to avoid sexual intercourse with the young population in the state, who have a disproportionately high risk of being infected with STDs. These teenagers avoid wearing condoms because, to paraphrase ‘It just feels good without it.’ Furthermore, younger people are less likely to take STDs seriously and hence, even if sexually active, do not get tested for such diseases, which means they might be infected but not even know.

3. Georgia

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 570.8

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 158.3

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 14

Insider Monkey Score: 9.67

We are continuing our list of states with the highest STD rates in America with Georgia that has managed to get 5 cities in the top 60 most sexually diseased cities, an achievement which I am sure it would have rather not claimed. A lack of awareness and poverty are the primary culprits behind the increasing rate of STDs in the state. Again, as is common with most states in the list, the highest number of people affected by STDs belong to the age bracket 18-24. They tend to not use protection, both to increase their pleasure and because they consider themselves to be invincible.

2. North Carolina

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 647.4

Rate of Gonorrhea per 100,000 people: 199.2

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 12

Insider Monkey Score: 11.67

Even in 2011, the country was aghast with the high STD rates in North Carolina, and things have failed to slow down since. Thus, it is no surprise that a city from North Carolina, Fayetteville, made the list of the top 10 most sexually diseased in the country.

1. Louisiana

Rate of Chlamydia per 100,000 people: 695.2

Rate of Gonorrhea,  per 100,000 people: 221.1

Rate of Syphilis per 100,000 people: 15

Insider Monkey Score: 13.33

The numbers above make for stark reading. A rate of 700 people for every 100,000 infected with chlamydia is concerning, to say the least. The gay population and the young population of the state are at a higher risk of STDs than in any other state in the country. This is why, unfortunately, Louisiana is the number one in the list of states with the highest STD rates in America.