The risk of sexually transmitted diseases is higher in some places. What is your home state?
new data from universal drug store According to the company's “Sexual Health Index,'' it has revealed sexually transmitted disease hotspots across the country.
As an example, Mississippi ranks as the “worst affected” state for sexually transmitted diseases, with one of the highest chlamydia infection rates in the nation at 700 per 100,000 people. are.
The southern state, which received a score of 9.64 out of 10, also had the lowest HPV vaccination rate at 38.5%, more than 20% below the national average.
It was followed by Northern Alaska with a score of 8.47. Although the low number of STI infections is deceptive, the small population size means that the infection rate is one of the most adversely affected countries.
In Alaska, the gonorrhea infection rate is 251.1 per 100,000 residents and the chlamydia infection rate is 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 per 100,000 people, followed by Alabama in fourth, Arkansas in fifth, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida were in the top 10. .
HIV, an incurable virus that can cause AIDS if untreated, is the most prevalent virus in Georgia, with 23.1 infections per 100,000 residents, more than double the national average. be. Meanwhile, Minnesota has the lowest number of people infected with HIV, at just 4.5 per 100,000 people.
However, the state with the highest increase in HIV infections is in Arkansas, where the number of infections has increased by 66.7% since 2018.
For reference, the number of HIV infections in the United States overall decreased by 13.5% between 2018 and 2020, according to Universal Drugstore.
The prescribing company also analyzed infection rates by age group and found that people aged 20 to 24 accounted for the highest number of chlamydia infections, with 542,040 infections reported.
The same age group had the highest number of reported gonorrhea infections, at 142,526.
Dr. Jamie Wynn, Universal Drugstore's medical director, said that given the “increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections nationwide,” it is important to educate young people about the risks of sexually transmitted infections and how to prevent them. I believe that sexual education is the key.
“While it is true that abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, teenagers are notoriously experimental, and this form of sex education alone It would be careless to think that positive change will result,” Wynne said in the paper. statement.
“Having access to a comprehensive sex education curriculum will ensure students have the information they need safely if they choose to explore, benefiting both their personal growth and mental health.”
