STD Rates Reach Another Record High In State, Mecklenburg County

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, NC — Cases of sexually transmitted diseases once again increased in the United States, making 2018 the fifth consecutive year in which the number of people infected with gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis went up.

The rates of infections are also up in Mecklenburg County, according to data.

Reduced access to STD prevention and care, a decreased use of condoms and cuts to programs at the state and local level continue to drive the increase in the prevalence of the diseases. The data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual report on sexually transmitted disease surveillance.

According to the agency, half of the STD infections are in young people ages 15-24.

The most common of the three diseases tracked in the report was chlamydia, with over 1.7 million cases in 2018, an increase of 3 percent from 2017 and the most that have ever been reported to the federal agency. There were nearly 600,000 gonorrhea cases in 2018, the highest number since 1991. Finally, more than 115,000 syphilis cases were diagnosed.

In North Carolina, there were 66,553 cases of chlamydia, 23,725 cases of gonorrhea and 1,098 cases of primary and secondary syphilis. The cases reflect an increase in all areas except gonorrhea, which saw a slight reduction statewide.

In Mecklenburg County, an uptick in chlamydia was reported, with 9,182 cases, up from 8,828 cases reported in 2017. A slight reduction in syphilis cases was reported at the county level, with 249 cases reported in 2018, down from 265 in 2017.

When it comes to the prevalence of STDs, North Carolina is ranked high across the board, according to the report. The state is No. 6 in the nation when it comes to reported cases of Chlamydia, No. 9 for Gonorrhea and No. 15 in reported cases of Syphilis.

Gail Bolan, director of STD prevention at the agency, said the progress that had been made in lowering the number of sexually transmitted diseases — historic lows in gonorrhea cases and the near elimination of syphilis — has unraveled.

“The number of reported syphilis cases is climbing after being largely on the decline since 1941, and gonorrhea rates are now increasing,” Bolan wrote.

More than half of all gonorrhea infections in 2018 were estimated to be resistant to at least one antibiotic, the report says.

Chlamydia rates were highest in the South, but the number of cases have increased in all four regions of the United States since 2013. Between 2014-2018, the largest increase in the number of cases was in the West. An overwhelming majority of the cases were in females, and the rates were highest in those ages 15-24.

The South also had the highest rates of gonorrhea. While the disease increased in both men and women, the number of cases was higher among men.

Syphilis has multiple stages of infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts cases of primary and secondary syphilis — when the disease is most infectious — and cases of late and congenital syphilis. Rates of primary and secondary syphilis were highest in the West but every region saw an increase. More cases of the early stages of the disease were reported in men as opposed to women.

In this year’s report, the agency warned of a rise in the number of newborns who died from syphilis in 2018. Nearly 100 babies died due to congenital syphilis, a 22 percent increase since 2017.

Bolan wrote in the report that federal, state and local programs need to promote sexual, reproductive, maternal and infant health and reduce STD incidence. Bolan also noted that health officials needed to be able to detect STDs in those who don't have access to being diagnosed and treated.

“The resurgence of syphilis, and particularly congenital syphilis, is not an arbitrary event, but rather a symptom of a deteriorating public health infrastructure and lack of access to health care,” Bolan said. “It is exposing hidden, fragile populations in need that are not getting the health care and preventive services they deserve.”

STD Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a number of resources on how to protect yourself from STDs.

• Getting tested for STDs.
• Correctly and consistently using condoms during sex.
• Being mutually monogamous and agreeing to be sexually active with only one person. However, both partners must be certain they are not infected with STDs.
• Reducing the number of sex partners.
• Getting vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B. HPV vaccines are recommended for all teen girls and women through the age of 26 and for all boys and men through the age of 21.
• Practicing abstinence.

Read the CDC’s full report on STD statistics