Delaware’s rate of sexually transmitted disease rose sharply last year.
The report from BackgroundCheck.org showed the First State moving up to ninth in a ranking of the 50 states, up five places from a year earlier.
The CDC reports found that STD rates rose again in 2016, reaching an all-time high by topping 2015 figures, which previously stood as the worst year for STDs in the U.S. The problem is so bad that many experts are labeling the surge in STD rates a national epidemic, the website noted.
Delaware’s rate of chlamydia infection increased by over 60 per 100,000, enough to move it into the top ten.
Compared to our 2016 rankings, perhaps the biggest story of the 2016 CDC data is the increase in reported gonorrhea cases. The across-the-board increase in gonorrhea infection is startling, and many experts attribute it to the rising prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease.
Chlamydia rates also rose in most states, and remains the most common STD in the nation, which is often attributed to the fact that most people infected do not experience symptoms.
Other states fared better, including North Carolina (7), Louisiana 2) and New Mexico (5) which all experienced a decrease in chlamydia infections per 100k.
The state moving up the highest in the rankings was neighboring Maryland, which went up six spots from 24 to 8, owing to significantly elevated rates of both gonorrhea and chlamydia. Next was Delaware.
Thirty states either maintained their previous position or only moved one place in the overall rankings.
