Philly is an STD hot spot, CDC says. Where are infection rates high in Pennsylvania?

Matt DiSanto
·4 min read

Pennsylvania’s largest city has emerged as a hot spot for sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S., according to a new study.

Philadelphia ranks fifth on the list of the top 100 U.S. cities with the highest rates of STDs. The findings come as part of the latest installment of an annual report from Innerbody Research that examines factors and data regarding STDs, which infect more than 20 million Americans each year and can be caused by viruses, bacterial agents and parasites.

The study’s data, provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicate minority racial and ethnic groups are more likely to contract STDs than their white counterparts. For example, non-Hispanic Black people account for about 12% of the U.S. population, but comprised nearly 32% of the nation’s chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea infections last year, the report says.

In a statement, CDC officials said systemically reduced access to health care services plays a significant role in the differences in rates of infection between racial and ethnic groups.

“Focusing on hard-hit populations is critical to reducing disparities,” said Jo Valentine, the CDC’s director of the Office of Health Equity. “To effectively reduce these disparities, the social, cultural, and economic conditions that make it more difficult for some populations to stay healthy must be addressed. These include poverty, unstable housing, drug use, lack of medical insurance or regular medical provider, and high burden of STDs in some communities.”

Innerbody’s research found Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina, which rank among the lowest in health care spending per capita, accounted for the report’s three highest STD rates.

Breaking down the data in Pennsylvania

According to the annual study, Philadelphia observed 1,200 STD cases per 100,000 residents in 2022. The city’s population crossed 1.6 million for the 2020 U.S. Census.

Innerbody’s report broke down the City of Brotherly Love’s STD cases as follows for four of the most common types:

  • HIV cases: 562

  • Chlamydia cases: 28,827

  • Gonorrhea cases: 11,824

  • Syphilis cases: 1,616

Memphis, Tenn., reported the worst STD infection rate in the country, according to Innerbody’s report. Jackson, Miss., and Columbia, S.C., followed in second and third, respectively.

A few additional Pennsylvania cities landed on the report’s list, though none fell into the top 25. Here’s a quick breakdown for each:

Easton, Pa. (No. 79)

STD cases per 100,000 residents: 540 HIV cases: 34 Chlamydia cases: 2,772 Gonorrhea cases: 825 Syphilis cases: 81

Harrisburg, Pa. (No. 80)

STD cases per 100,000 residents: 539 HIV cases: 40 Chlamydia cases: 2,941 Gonorrhea cases: 883 Syphilis cases: 102

Pittsburgh, Pa. (No. 85)

  • STD cases per 100,000 residents: 518

  • HIV cases: 87

  • Chlamydia cases: 8,547

  • Gonorrhea cases: 2,933

  • Syphilis cases: 346

Scranton, Pa. (No. 93)

  • STD cases per 100,000 residents: 404

  • HIV cases: 28

  • Chlamydia cases: 2,056

  • Gonorrhea cases: 430

  • Syphilis cases: 37

STD safety and prevention

Most STDs are curable, but all are treatable, the CDC says. Still, it is wise to take steps to prevent contracting an STD in your day-to-day life.

The surest way to avoid STDs is to avoid having sex entirely, the CDC says. STDs can be transmitted through vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Those who regularly have sex can take additional steps to lower the risk of contracting an STD, including wearing a condom, talking with your partner, reducing your number of sexual partners or practicing mutual monogamy, better known as limiting sexual activities to only one person. Being in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is one of the most reliable ways to avoid an STD, the CDC advises.

Vaccines are available to help prevent cases of hepatitis B and HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. Children ages 11 and 12 are advised to receive two doses of the HPV vaccine between 6 and 12 months apart.

HPV vaccination is not recommended for those older than 26, the CDC says. Vaccination of adults is less effective “because more people in this age range were exposed to HPV already.”

The hepatitis B vaccine, meanwhile, is available for all age groups.

STD testing is widely available for those who think they have been infected. Testing is encouraged because many STDs lack physical symptoms and may be found only through a closer examination. The CDC recommends talking with your health care provider to find a testing option that works for you.

The CDC maintains a searchable online list of recommended STD tests. You can find a testing location near you by visiting gettested.cdc.gov.

Correction: This story was updated at 7:40 a.m. March 23 to correct language regarding the causes of some common STDs and STIs.