National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention 

Division of STD Prevention

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 

2015 STDs
Sexually 

Transmitted 

Disease 

Surveillance 

2015

Division of STD Prevention

October 2016

U.S Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

Division of STD Prevention

Atlanta, Georgia, 30329-4027
ii STD Surveillance 2015

This report was prepared by

Surveillance and Data Management Branch

Division of STD Prevention

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Jerusha Barton

Jim Braxton

Darlene Davis

Alex de Voux

Elaine Flagg

LaZetta Grier

Alesia Harvey

Sarah Kidd

Robert Kirkcaldy

Kristen Kreisel

Eloisa Llata

Rodney Presley

Viani Ramirez

Fred Rivers

Michelle Rose

Charnetta Smith

Mark Stenger

Timothy Tilert

Elizabeth Torrone

Hillard Weinstock

Emily Weston

Others contributing to the production and dissemination of this publication

Office of the Director

Division of STD Prevention

Gail Bolan

Keith Davis

Suzanne Haecker

Rachel Powell

Raul Romaguera

Jo Valentine

Publication of this report would not have been possible without the contributions of the state and territorial 

health departments, sexually transmitted disease control programs, and public health laboratories that provided 

surveillance data to CDC.
STD Surveillance 2015 iii

Copyright Information

All material contained in this report is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without special permission; 

however, citation as to source is appreciated.

Suggested Citation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015. Atlanta: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services; 2016.

Web Site

The online version of this report is available at https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats.

Selected STD Surveillance and Prevention References and Web Sites

STD Surveillance Reports 1993–2014

https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/

STD Data in the NCHHSTP Atlas

https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/atlas/

STD Data on Wonder

https://wonder.cdc.gov/std.html

STD Data Management & Information Technology

https://www.cdc.gov/std/Program/data-mgmt.htm

STD Fact Sheets

https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/fact_sheets.htm

STD Treatment Guidelines

https://www.cdc.gov/STD/treatment/

STD Program Evaluation Guidelines

https://www.cdc.gov/std/program/pupestd.htm

STD Program Operation Guidelines

https://www.cdc.gov/std/program/GL-2001.htm

Recommendations for Public Health Surveillance of Syphilis in the United States

https://www.cdc.gov/std/SyphSurvReco.pdf

Behavioral Surveillance

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System: 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm

National Survey of Family Growth

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm
iv STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 v

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have long been an 

underestimated opponent in the public health battle. A 

1997 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report described STDs 

as, “hidden epidemics of tremendous health and economic 

consequence in the United States,” and stated that the 

“scope, impact, and consequences of STDs are underrecognized by the public and healthcare professionals.”1

Since well before this report was published, and nearly two 

decades later, those facts remain unchanged. 

It is estimated that there are 20 million new STDs in the 

U.S. each year, and half of these are among young people 

ages 15 to 24 years. Across the nation, at any given time, 

there are more than 110 million total (new and existing) 

infections.2 These infections can lead to long-term health 

consequences, such as infertility; they can facilitate HIV 

transmission; and they have stigmatized entire subgroups 

of Americans. 

Yet not that long ago, gonorrhea rates were at historic 

lows, syphilis was close to elimination, and we were 

able to point to advances in STD prevention, such as 

better chlamydia diagnostic tests and more screening, 

contributing to increases in detection and treatment of 

chlamydial infections. That progress has since unraveled. 

The number of reported syphilis cases is climbing after 

being largely on the decline since 1941, and gonorrhea 

rates are now increasing. This is especially concerning 

given that we are slowly running out of treatment options 

to cure Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Many young women 

continue to have undiagnosed chlamydial infections, 

putting them at risk for infertility. 

Beyond the impact on an individual’s health, STDs are 

also an economic drain on the U.S. healthcare system. 

Data suggest the direct cost of treating STDs in the 

U.S. is nearly $16 billion annually.3 STD public health 

programs are increasingly facing challenges and barriers 

in achieving their mission. In 2012, 52% of state and local 

STD programs experienced budget cuts. This amounts to 

reductions in clinic hours, contact tracing, and screening 

for common STDs. CDC estimates that 21 local health 

department STD clinics closed that year. 

It is imperative that federal, state, and local programs 

employ strategies that maximize long-term population 

impact by reducing STD incidence and promoting sexual, 

reproductive, maternal, and infant health. 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. It is exposing hidden, fragile populations in need 

that are not getting the health care and preventive services 

they deserve. This points to our need for public health and 

health care action for each of the cases in this report, as 

they represent real people, not just numbers. 

We also need to modernize surveillance to move beyond 

counting only those cases in persons who have access to 

diagnosis and treatment, to develop innovative strategies 

to understand the burden of disease in those who may 

not access care, and to improve our surveillance systems 

to collect the information needed to target prevention 

activities. Further, it will be important for us to measure 

and monitor the adverse health consequences of STDs, 

such as ocular and neurosyphilis, pelvic inflammatory 

disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, HIV, congenital 

syphilis, and neonatal herpes. 

It is my hope that a decade from now, we will be reporting 

on progress, instead of more health inequity in our society. 

This is our challenge and our call to effectively respond to 

the information shared in this report. 

Gail Bolan, M.D.

Director, Division of STD Prevention

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and 

TB Prevention

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Foreword

1 Eng TR, Butler WT, editors; Institute of Medicine (US). Summary: 

The hidden epidemic: confronting sexually transmitted diseases. 

Washington (DC): National Academy Press; 1997. p. 43.

2 Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted 

infections among US women and men: prevalence and incidence 

estimates, 2008. Sex Transm Dis. 2013 Mar;40(3):187–93. doi: 

10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318286bb53. Review. 

3 Owusu-Edusei K Jr, Chesson HW, Gift TL, et al. The estimated direct 

medical cost of selected sexually transmitted infections in the United 

States, 2008. Sex Transm Dis. 2013 Mar;40(3):197–201. doi: 

10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318285c6d2.
vi STD Surveillance 2015

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015 presents 

statistics and trends for sexually transmitted diseases 

(STDs) in the United States through 2015. This annual 

publication is intended as a reference document for policy 

makers, program managers, health planners, researchers, 

and others who are concerned with the public health 

implications of these diseases. The figures and tables in 

this edition supersede those in earlier publications of these 

data.

The surveillance information in this report is based on 

the following sources of data: (1) notifiable disease 

reporting from state and local STD programs; (2) projects 

that monitor STD positivity and prevalence in various 

settings, including the National Job Training Program, the 

STD Surveillance Network, and the Gonococcal Isolate 

Surveillance Project; and (3) other national surveys 

implemented by federal and private organizations.

The STD surveillance systems operated by state and local 

STD control programs, which provide the case report 

data for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chancroid, 

are the data sources of many of the figures and most of 

the statistical tables in this publication. These systems are 

an integral part of program management at all levels of 

STD prevention and control in the United States. Because 

of incomplete diagnosis and reporting, the number of 

STD cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention is less than the actual number of cases 

occurring in the U.S. population. National summary data 

of case reports for other STDs are not available because 

they are not nationally notifiable diseases.

The collection of information on race/ethnicity has been 

standardized since 1997 in the United States from the 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Following a 

revision in the National Electronic Telecommunication 

System for Surveillance (NETSS) implementation guide 

in April 2008, jurisdictions reporting STD data were to 

collect race according to the OMB standard categories: 

American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African 

American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other 

Pacific Islander, White and Multirace. While 49 states 

collect and report data for all STDs in formats compliant 

with these standards as of 2015, some jurisdictions 

only recently adopted this standard and used previous 

standards to report their case data to CDC in past years. 

Consequently, historical trend and rate data by race/

ethnicity displayed in figures and interpreted in this report 

for 2011–2015 include only those jurisdictions reporting in 

the current standard consistently for 2011 through 2015.

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015 consists 

of four sections: the National Profile, the Special Focus 

Profiles, the Tables, and the Appendix. The National 

Profile section contains figures that provide an overview 

of STD morbidity in the United States. The accompanying 

text identifies major findings and trends for selected STDs. 

The Special Focus Profiles section contains figures and 

text that describe STDs in selected populations that are a 

focus of national and state prevention efforts. The Tables 

section provides statistical information about STDs at 

county, metropolitan statistical area, regional, state, and 

national levels. The Appendix includes information on 

how to interpret the STD surveillance data used to produce 

this report, as well as information about Healthy People 

2020 STD objectives and progress toward meeting these 

objectives, Government Performance and Results Act 

goals and progress toward meeting these goals, and STD 

surveillance case definitions.

Any comments and suggestions that would improve future 

publications are appreciated and should be sent to:

Director, Division of STD Prevention

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and 

TB Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-02

Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4027

Preface
STD Surveillance 2015 vii

Guide to Acronyms

ACA Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

AI/AN American Indians/Alaska Natives

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

CI confidence interval

CIA chemiluminescence immunoassay

CSF cerebrospinal fluid

CSTE Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

EIA enzyme immunoassay

EP ectopic pregnancy

FTA-ABS fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed

GISP Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project

HEDIS Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set

HMOs health maintenance organizations

HIV human immunodeficiency virus

HP2020 Healthy People 2020

HPV human papillomavirus

HSV herpes simplex virus

IHC immunohistochemistry

MHA-TP microhemagglutination assay for antibody to Treponema pallidum

MICs minimum inhibitory concentrations

MPC mucopurulent cervicitis 

MSAs metropolitan statistical areas

MSM gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 

MSW men who have sex with women only

NAATs nucleic acid amplification tests

NCHHSTP National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

NCHS National Center for Health Statistics

NHOPI Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

NDTI National Disease and Therapeutic Index

NGU nongonococcal urethritis

NHANES National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

NJTP National Job Training Program 

NNDSS National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

P&S primary and secondary

PCR polymerase chain reaction

PID pelvic inflammatory disease

RPR rapid plasma reagin

SSuN STD Surveillance Network

STD sexually transmitted disease

TP-PA T. pallidum particle agglutination

VDRL Venereal Disease Research Laboratory

WBC white blood cell
viii STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 ix

Contents

Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................................................................... ii 

Foreword...........................................................................................................................................................................................v 

Preface ............................................................................................................................................................................................ vi 

Guide to Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................................... vii 

Figures in the National Profile .........................................................................................................................................................x 

Figures in the Special Focus Profiles............................................................................................................................................ xii 

Tables in the National Profile....................................................................................................................................................... xiv 

Census Regions of the United States.......................................................................................................................................... xvii 

National Overview of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), 2015.............................................................................................1

National Profile...............................................................................................................................................................5

Chlamydia..................................................................................................................................................................................6

Gonorrhea ................................................................................................................................................................................17

Syphilis....................................................................................................................................................................................31

Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.....................................................................................................................................43

Special Focus Profiles............................................................................................................................................53

STDs in Women and Infants...................................................................................................................................................54

STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults.................................................................................................................................62

STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities....................................................................................................................................69

STDs in Men Who Have Sex with Men.................................................................................................................................76

Tables

National Summary...................................................................................................................................................................85

Chlamydia................................................................................................................................................................................87

Gonorrhea ................................................................................................................................................................................99

Syphilis..................................................................................................................................................................................111

Chancroid ............................................................................................................................................................................. 131

Selected STDs ...................................................................................................................................................................... 132

Appendix

A. Interpreting STD Surveillance Data................................................................................................................................ 135

Table A1. Selected STDs — Percentage of Unknown, Missing, or Invalid Values for Selected Variables 

by State and by Nationally Notifiable STD, 2015....................................................................................... 141

Table A2. Reported Cases of STDs by Reporting Source and Sex, United States, 2015 ........................................... 142

B. National Objectives and Goals........................................................................................................................................ 143

Table B1. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Objectives............................................. 144

Table B2. Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Goals, 

 Measures, and Target.................................................................................................................................... 145

C. STD Surveillance Case Definitions................................................................................................................................. 146

Contributors.......................................................................................................................................................................... 155
x STD Surveillance 2015

Chlamydia

Figure 1. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex, United States, 2000–2015.................................................10

Figure 2. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 2006–2015 ...........................................10

Figure 3. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015 ........................11

Figure 4. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015 .....................................................11

Figure 5. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, United States, 2015.................................12

Figure 6. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015 ...............................12

Figure 7. Chlamydia — Reported Cases Among Men by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015...................13

Figure 8. Chlamydia — Reported Cases Among Women by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015..............13

Figure 9. Chlamydia — Proportion of STD Clinic Patients Testing Positive by Age Group, Sex, and Sexual 

 Behavior, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015.....................................................................................14

Figure 10. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Persons Aged 14–39 Years by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, or Age Group, 

 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2012..................................................................14

Figure 11. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Sexually-Active Women Aged 14–39 Years by Race/Ethnicity 

 and Age Group, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2012.......................................15

Gonorrhea

Figure 12. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Year, United States, 1941–2015 ................................................21

Figure 13. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex, United States, 2006–2015 .................................................21

Figure 14. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 2006–2015............................................22

Figure 15. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.........................22

Figure 16. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015......................................................23

Figure 17. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, United States, 2015..................................23

Figure 18. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–44 Years by Age Group, 

 United States, 2006–2015 ...............................................................................................................................24

Figure 19. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–44 Years by Age Group, 

 United States, 2006–2015 ...............................................................................................................................24

Figure 20. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015................................25

Figure 21. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases Among Men by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015....................25

Figure 22. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases Among Women by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015 ..............26

Figure 23. Estimated Proportion of MSM, MSW, and Women Among Gonorrhea Cases by Jurisdiction, 

 STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015......................................................................................................26

Figure 24. Gonorrhea — Proportion of STD Clinic Patients Testing Positive by Age Group, Sex, and 

 Sexual Behavior, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015.........................................................................27

Figure 25. Location of Participating Sentinel Sites and Regional Laboratories, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance 

 Project (GISP), United States, 2015 ...............................................................................................................27

Figure 26. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Isolates with Elevated Ceftriaxone Minimum Inhibitory 

Concentrations (MICs) (≥0.125 μg/ml) and Elevated Cefixime MICs (≥0.25 μg/ml), Gonococcal 

 Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2006–2015............................................................................................28

Figure 27. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Distribution of Azithromycin Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) 

 by Year, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2011–2015.........................................................28

Figure 28. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Distribution of Isolates with Penicillin, Tetracycline, and/or Ciprofloxacin 

 Resistance, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2015..............................................................29

Figure 29. Distribution of Primary Antimicrobial Drugs Used to Treat Gonorrhea Among Participants, 

 Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 1988–2015 .......................................................................29

Syphilis

Figure 30. Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Stage of Infection, United States, 1941–2015 ..............................35

Figure 31. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Sex and Sexual Behavior, 37 states, 

 2011–2015 .......................................................................................................................................................35

Figures in the National Profile
STD Surveillance 2015 xi

Figure 32. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex and Male-to-Female Rate Ratios, 

 United States, 1990–2015 ...............................................................................................................................36

Figure 33. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 2006–2015 ........36

Figure 34. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and Outlying 

 Areas, 2015......................................................................................................................................................37

Figure 35. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015...................37

Figure 36. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, 

 United States, 2015..........................................................................................................................................38

Figure 37. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–44 Years 

 by Age Group, United States, 2006–2015......................................................................................................38

Figure 38. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–44 Years 

 by Age Group, United States, 2006–2015......................................................................................................39

Figure 39. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 

 2011–2015 .......................................................................................................................................................39

Figure 40. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Distribution of Cases by Sex and Sexual Behavior, 2015...................40

Figure 41. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Sex, Sexual Behavior, and HIV Status, 

 31 States, 2015.................................................................................................................................................40

Figure 42. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Reporting Source and Sex, United States, 

 2006–2015 .......................................................................................................................................................41

Figure 43. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Percentage of Reported Cases by Sex, Sexual Behavior, and 

 Selected Reporting Sources, 2015 ..................................................................................................................41

Figure 44. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases by Year of Birth and Rates of Primary and Secondary Syphilis 

 Among Women, United States, 2006–2015 ...................................................................................................42

Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Figure 45. Chancroid — Reported Cases by Year, United States, 1941–2015 ...............................................................47

Figure 46. Human Papillomavirus — Cervicovaginal Prevalence of Types 6, 11, 16, and 18 Among Women 

 Aged 14–34 Years by Age Group and Time Period, National Health and Nutrition Examination 

 Survey, 2003–2006 and 2009–2012 ...............................................................................................................47

Figure 47. Genital Warts — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, United States, 1966–2014 ........................................48

Figure 48. Genital Warts — Prevalence per 1000 Person-Years Among Participants in Private Health Plans 

 Aged 10–39 Years by Sex, Age Group, and Year, 2003–2010.......................................................................48

Figure 49. Genital Warts — Prevalence Among STD Clinic Patients by Sex, Sex of Partners, and Jurisdiction, 

 STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015......................................................................................................49

Figure 50. Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, 

 United States, 1966–2014 ...............................................................................................................................49

Figure 51. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 2 — Seroprevalence Among Non-Hispanic Whites and 

 Non-Hispanic Blacks by Sex and Age Group, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 

 1988–1994, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, and 2007–2010...................................................................................50

Figure 52. Trichomonas vaginalis and Other Vaginal Infections Among Women — Initial Visits to Physicians’ 

Offices, United States, 1966–2014 .................................................................................................................50
xii STD Surveillance 2015

STDs in Women and Infants

Figure A. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, United States and 

 Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................................................................................................................58

Figure B. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, United States and 

 Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................................................................................................................58

Figure C. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, United States 

 and Outlying Areas, 2015................................................................................................................................59

Figure D. Congenital Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Infants by Year of Birth and State, 

 United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.........................................................................................................59

Figure E. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices Among Women Aged 15–44 

 Years, United States, 2006–2014 ....................................................................................................................60

Figure F. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — Lifetime Prevalence of Treatment Among Sexually Experienced 

 Women Aged 15–44 Years by Race/Ethnicity and Time Period, National Survey of Family Growth, 

 1995, 2002, 2006–2010, 2011–2013 ..............................................................................................................60

Figure G. Ectopic Pregnancy — Rates Among Commercially Insured Pregnant Women Aged 15–44 Years 

 by Age Group, 2003–2014..............................................................................................................................61

STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults

Figure H. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–24 Years by State, United States 

 and Outlying Areas, 2015................................................................................................................................65

Figure I. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–24 Years by State, United States 

 and Outlying Areas, 2015................................................................................................................................65

Figure J. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–24 Years by State, United States 

 and Outlying Areas, 2015................................................................................................................................66

Figure K. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–24 Years by State, United States 

 and Outlying Areas, 2015................................................................................................................................66

Figure L. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Women Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

 Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................67

Figure M. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Men Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

 Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................67

Figure N. Gonorrhea — Prevalence Among Women Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

 Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................68

Figure O. Gonorrhea — Prevalence Among Men Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

 Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015.......................................68

STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Figure P. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, United States, 2015...........................73

Figure Q. Gonorrhea — Rate Ratios by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015.....................................................73

Figure R. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, United States, 2015 ...........................74

Figure S. Gonorrhea — Rate Ratios by Race/Ethnicity and Region, United States, 2015...........................................74

Figure T. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, 

 United States, 2015..........................................................................................................................................75

Figure U. Congenital Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Infants, by Year of Birth and Mother’s 

 Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2006–2015 .....................................................................................................75

STDs in Men Who Have Sex with Men

Figure V. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Sex, Sexual Behavior, and Race/Ethnicity, 

 United States, 2015..........................................................................................................................................79

Figure W. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia — Proportion of MSM Attending STD Clinics Testing Positive for 

 Gonorrhea and Chlamydia by Jurisdiction, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015...............................79

Figures in the Special Focus Profiles
STD Surveillance 2015 xiii

Figure X. Primary and Secondary Syphilis and HIV — Proportion of MSM Attending STD Clinics with 

 Primary and Secondary Syphilis Co-infected with HIV by Jurisdiction, STD Surveillance 

 Network (SSuN), 2015....................................................................................................................................80

Figure Y. Proportion of MSM Attending STD Clinics with Primary and Secondary Syphilis, Gonorrhea (GC) 

 or Chlamydia (CT) by HIV Status, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015............................................80

Figure Z. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Urethral Isolates Obtained from MSM Attending STD 

 Clinics, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 1989–2015..........................................................81

Figure AA. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Urethral Isolates with Elevated Ceftriaxone Minimum 

Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) (≥0.125 μg/ml) by Reported Sex of Sex Partner, Gonococcal 

 Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2006–2015............................................................................................81
xiv STD Surveillance 2015

National Summary

Table 1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population, 

 United States, 1941–2015 ...............................................................................................................................85

Chlamydia

Table 2. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked by Rates, 

 United States, 2015..........................................................................................................................................87

Table 3. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in 

 Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 .............................................................88

Table 4. Chlamydia Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and 

 Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015.............................................89

Table 5. Chlamydia Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and 

 Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015.............................................90

Table 6. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan Statistical 

 Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 .................................................................91

Table 7. Chlamydia Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ..........................92

Table 8. Chlamydia Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ..........................93

Table 9. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties and Independent Cities 

 Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015 ........................................................................94

Table 10. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, United States, 

 2011–2015 .......................................................................................................................................................95

Table 11A. Chlamydia — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex, United States, 2015.....................96

Table 11B. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, 

 and Sex, United States, 2015 ..........................................................................................................................97

Table 12. Chlamydia Among Women Aged 15–24 Years — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases 

 by Age, United States, 2011–2015..................................................................................................................98

Gonorrhea

Table 13. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked by Rates, 

 United States, 2015..........................................................................................................................................99

Table 14. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in 

 Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 .......................................................... 100

Table 15. Gonorrhea Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

 and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015................................... 101

Table 16. Gonorrhea Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area

 and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015................................... 102

Table 17. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan

 Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015.............................................. 103

Table 18. Gonorrhea Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ....................... 104

Table 19. Gonorrhea Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ....................... 105

Table 20. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties and Independent 

 Cities, Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015.......................................................... 106

Table 21. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, 

 United States, 2011–2015 ............................................................................................................................ 107

Table 22A. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex, United States, 2015.................. 108

Table 22B. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, 

 and Sex, United States, 2015 ....................................................................................................................... 109

Tables in the National Profile
STD Surveillance 2015 xv

Table 23. Gonorrhea Among Women Aged 15–24 Years — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases

 by Age, United States, 2011–2015................................................................................................................110

Syphilis

Table 24. All Stages of Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region 

 in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 .......................................................111

Table 25. All Stages of Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan 

 Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015...............................................112

Table 26. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked 

 by Rates, United States, 2015 .......................................................................................................................113

Table 27. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

 and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015....................................114

Table 28. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases 

 by State/Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 ............115

Table 29. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases 

 by State/Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 ............116

Table 30. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ........................117

Table 31. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases 

 in Selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 

 2011–2015 .....................................................................................................................................................118

Table 32. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases 

 in Selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 

 2011–2015 .....................................................................................................................................................119

Table 33. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties and 

 Independent Cities Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015...................................... 120

Table 34. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group 

 and Sex, United States, 2011–2015 ............................................................................................................. 121

Table 35A. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex, 

 United States, 2015....................................................................................................................................... 122

Table 35B. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population by 

 Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex, United States, 2015 ......................................................................... 123

Table 36. Early Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region 

 in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 ...................................................... 124

Table 37. Early Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan 

 Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015.............................................. 125

Table 38. Late and Late Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and 

 Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015.......................................... 126

Table 39. Late and Late Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015 ....................... 127

Table 40. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked by Rates, 

 United States, 2015....................................................................................................................................... 128

Table 41. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Year of Birth, by State/Area 

 and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015................................... 129

Table 42. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Live Births by 

 Year of Birth and Race/Ethnicity of Mother, United States, 2011–2015.................................................... 130

Chancroid

Table 43. Chancroid — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area in Alphabetical 

 Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015 ................................................................................ 131

Selected STDs

Table 44. Selected STDs and Complications — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, National Disease 

 and Therapeutic Index, United States, 1966–2014...................................................................................... 132
xvi STD Surveillance 2015

Appendix

Table A1. Selected STDs — Percentage of Unknown, Missing, or Invalid Values for Selected Variables 

by State and by Nationally Notifiable STD, 2015....................................................................................... 141

Table A2. Reported Cases of STDs by Reporting Source and Sex, United States, 2015 ........................................... 142

Table B1. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Objectives............................................. 144

Table B2. Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Goals, 

 Measures, and Target.................................................................................................................................... 145
STD Surveillance 2015 xvii

Census Regions of the United States

West Midwest South Northeast

Alaska Illinois Alabama Connecticut

Arizona Indiana Arkansas Maine

California Iowa Delaware Massachusetts

Colorado Kansas District of Columbia New Hampshire

Hawaii Michigan Florida New Jersey

Idaho Minnesota Georgia New York

Montana Missouri Kentucky Pennsylvania

Nevada Nebraska Louisiana Rhode Island

New Mexico North Dakota Maryland Vermont

Oregon Ohio Mississippi

Utah South Dakota North Carolina

Washington Wisconsin Oklahoma

Wyoming South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

West Virginia

South

West Midwest Northeast
xviii STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 Overview 1

All Americans should have the opportunity to make 

choices that lead to health and wellness. Working together, 

interested, committed public and private organizations, 

communities, and individuals can take action to prevent 

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their related 

health consequences. In addition to federal, state, and 

local public support for STD prevention activities, 

local community leaders can promote STD prevention 

education. Health care providers can assess their patients’ 

risks and talk to them about testing. Parents can better 

educate their children about STDs and sexual health. 

Individuals can use condoms consistently and correctly, 

and openly discuss ways to protect their health with 

partners and providers. As noted in the Institute of 

Medicine report, The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases, surveillance is a key 

component of all our efforts to prevent and control these 

diseases.1

This overview summarizes national surveillance data for 

2015 on the three notifiable diseases for which there are 

federally funded control programs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, 

and syphilis.

Chlamydia

In 2015, a total of 1,526,658 cases of Chlamydia 

trachomatis infection were reported to the CDC. This case 

count corresponds to a rate of 478.8 cases per 100,000 

population, an increase of 5.9% compared with the rate in 

2014. During 2014–2015, the rate of reported chlamydia 

cases among women increased 3.8% and the rate among 

men increased 10.5%. Following three years of decreases 

in rates during 2011–2014, the rate among women aged 

15–19 years increased 1.5% during 2014–2015.

In 2015, the overall rate of chlamydial infection in the 

United States among women (645.5 cases per 100,000 

females) based on reported cases was over two times 

the rate among men (305.2 cases per 100,000 males), 

reflecting the larger number of women screened for this 

infection. However, with the increased availability of 

urine testing and extragenital testing, men, including 

gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 

(collectively referred to as MSM) are increasingly being 

tested for chlamydial infection. During 2011–2015, the 

chlamydia rate in men increased 20.0%, compared with a 

0.3% increase in women during this period. 

The facilities reporting chlamydial infections have 

changed over the last 10 years. In 2015, over 75% of 

chlamydia cases were reported from venues outside of 

STD clinics. Among women, only 4.5% of chlamydia 

cases were reported through an STD clinic and about a 

third of cases were reported from private physicians/health 

maintenance organizations.

Rates of reported chlamydia varied among different racial 

and ethnic minority populations. In 2015, the rate of 

chlamydia among Blacks was 5.9 times the rate among 

Whites, and the rate among American Indians/Alaska 

Natives was 3.8 times the rate among Whites.

Gonorrhea

In 2009, the national rate of reported gonorrhea cases 

reached an historic low of 98.1 cases per 100,000 

population. However, during 2009–2012, the rate increased 

slightly each year to 106.7 cases per 100,000 population in 

2012 and then increased again during 2013–2015. In 2015, 

395,216 gonorrhea cases were reported for a rate of 123.9 

cases per 100,000 population, an increase of 12.8% 

from 2014.

During 2014–2015 the rate of reported gonorrhea 

increased 18.3% among men and 6.8% among women. 

Gonorrhea rates among both men and women increased 

in every region of the United States, with largest increases 

in the West and the South. The magnitude of the increase 

among males suggest either increased transmission or 

increased case ascertainment (e.g., through increased 

extra-genital screening) among MSM or both.

In 2015, the rate of reported gonorrhea cases remained 

highest among Blacks (424.9 cases per 100,000 

population) and among American Indians/Alaska Natives 

(192.8 cases per 100,000 population). While rates of 

gonorrhea declined 4.0% among Blacks during 2011–

2015, rates increased among all other racial and ethnic 

groups, including a 71.3% increase among American 

Indians/Alaska Natives.

Antimicrobial resistance remains an important 

consideration in the treatment of gonorrhea. With 

increased resistance to the fluoroquinolones and declining 

susceptibility to cefixime, dual therapy with ceftriaxone 

and azithromycin is now the only CDC recommended 

treatment for gonorrhea.2 In 2015, the percentage of 

isolates with elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations 

National Overview of Sexually 

Transmitted Diseases (STDs), 2015
2 Overview STD Surveillance 2015

(MICs) of cefixime and ceftriaxone remained low 

(0.5% and 0.3%, respectively). During 2013–2015, 

the percentage of isolates with reduced azithromycin 

susceptibility increased from 0.6% to 2.6%. Continued 

monitoring of susceptibility patterns to these antibiotics 

is critical. 

Syphilis

In 2000 and 2001, the national rate of reported primary and 

secondary (P&S) syphilis cases was 2.1 cases per 100,000 

population, the lowest rate since reporting began in 1941. 

However, the P&S syphilis rate has increased almost every 

year since 2001. In 2015, a total of 23,872 P&S syphilis 

cases were reported, and the national P&S syphilis rate 

increased to 7.5 cases per 100,000 population, a 19.0% 

increase from 2014.

During 2014–2015, the P&S syphilis rate increased 

both among men (18.1%) and women (27.3%) and rates 

increased among both sexes in every region of the country. 

Nationally, P&S syphilis rates increased in every 5-year 

age group among those aged 15–64 years and in every 

racial and ethnic group except for American Indians/

Alaska Natives during 2014–2015. 

During 2000–2015, the rise in the P&S syphilis rate was 

primarily attributable to increased cases among men and, 

specifically, among MSM. In 2015, men accounted for 

over 90% of all cases of P&S syphilis. Of those male 

cases for whom sex of sex partner was known, 81.7% 

were MSM. Reported cases of P&S syphilis continued 

to be characterized by a high rate of HIV co-infection, 

particularly among MSM. In the 31 states able to classify 

at least 70.0% of reported P&S syphilis cases as MSM, 

men who have sex with women (MSW), or women and 

at least 70.0% of reported cases as HIV-positive or HIVnegative, 49.8% of MSM with P&S syphilis were also 

reported as HIV-positive compared with 10.0% of cases 

among MSW and 3.9% of cases among women. 

The 2013 rate of congenital syphilis (9.2 cases per 

100,000 live births) marked the first increase in congenital 

syphilis since 2008. During 2013–2014, the rate increased 

27.2% and during 2014–2015 increased 6.0%, primarily 

attributable to an increase in the West. There were 487 

cases of congenital syphilis reported in 2015 compared 

with 461 in 2014. Rates of congenital syphilis were 

highest among Blacks (35.2 cases per 100,000 live births), 

followed by Hispanics (15.5 cases per 100,000 live births) 

and American Indians/Alaska Natives (10.3 cases per 

100,000 live births).

1 Eng TR, Butler WT, editors; Institute of Medicine (US). The hidden 

epidemic: confronting sexually transmitted diseases. Washington 

(DC): National Academy Press; 1997. p 43.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted 

diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 

2015; 64(No. RR-3): 1–137
STD Surveillance 2015 3 NATIONAL PROFILE
4 STD Surveillance 2015 NATIONAL PROFILE
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile 5

The National Profile section contains figures that show trends and the distribution of nationally reportable STDs 

(chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chancroid) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and location for the United States.

National Profile
6 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015

Background

Chlamydia, caused by infection with Chlamydia 

trachomatis, is the most common notifiable disease in the 

United States. It is among the most prevalent of all STDs, 

and since 1994, has comprised the largest proportion of all 

STDs reported to CDC (Table 1). Studies also demonstrate 

the high prevalence of chlamydial infections in the general 

U.S. population, particularly among young women.1

Chlamydial infections in women are usually 

asymptomatic.2 Untreated infection can result in pelvic 

inflammatory disease (PID), which is a major cause of 

infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. 

Data from randomized controlled trials of chlamydia 

screening suggested that screening programs can lead 

to a reduction in the incidence of PID.3,4 As with other 

inflammatory STDs, chlamydial infection could facilitate 

the transmission of HIV infection.5 In addition, pregnant 

women infected with chlamydia can pass the infection 

to their infants during delivery, potentially resulting in 

ophthalmia neonatorum, which can lead to blindness, 

and pneumonia. Because of the large burden of disease 

and risks associated with infection, CDC recommends 

annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women 

younger than age 25 years and women ≥25 years at 

increased risk for infection (e.g., women with new or 

multiple sex partners).6

The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set 

(HEDIS) contains a measure which assesses chlamydia 

screening coverage of sexually active young women 

who receive medical care through commercial or 

Medicaid managed care organizations. Among sexuallyactive women aged 16–24 years in commercial health 

maintenance organization (HMO) plans, chlamydia 

screening increased from 23.1% in 2001 to 47.0% in 2014. 

Among sexually-active women aged 16–24 years covered 

by Medicaid, screening rates increased from 40.4% in 

2001 to 58.0% in 2011, then decreased to 54.6% in 2014.7

Although chlamydia screening has expanded over the past 

two decades, many women who are at risk are still not 

being tested—reflecting, in part, the lack of awareness 

among some health care providers and the limited 

resources available to support these screenings.

Interpreting Rates of Reported 

Cases of Chlamydia

Trends in rates of reported cases of chlamydia are 

influenced by changes in incidence of infection, as well as 

changes in diagnostic, screening, and reporting practices. 

As chlamydial infections are usually asymptomatic, the 

number of infections identified and reported can increase 

as more people are screened even when incidence is flat 

or decreasing. Expanded use of more sensitive diagnostic 

tests (e.g., nucleic acid amplification tests [NAATs]) can 

also increase the number of infections identified and 

reported independently of increases in incidence. Although 

chlamydia has been a nationally notifiable condition 

since 1994, it was not until 2000 that all 50 states and 

the District of Columbia required reporting of chlamydia 

cases. National case rates prior to 2000 reflect incomplete 

reporting. Additionally, increasing use of electronic 

laboratory reporting has likely increased the proportion 

of diagnosed cases that are reported. Consequently, an 

increasing chlamydia case rate may reflect increases in 

incidence of infection, screening coverage, and use of 

more sensitive tests, as well as more complete reporting. 

Likewise, decreases in chlamydia case rates may suggest 

decreases in incidence of infection or screening coverage.

Chlamydia — United States

In 2015, a total of 1,526,658 chlamydial infections were 

reported to CDC in 50 states and the District of Columbia 

(Table 1). This case count corresponds to a rate of 478.8 

cases per 100,000 population. During 2000–2011, the rate 

of reported chlamydial infection increased from 251.4 to 

453.4 cases per 100,000 population (Figure 1, Table 1). 

During 2011–2013, the rate of reported cases decreased to 

443.5 cases per 100,000 population. The rate of reported 

cases then increased in 2014 and again in 2015. During 

2014–2015, the rate increased 5.9%, from 452.2 to 478.8 

cases per 100,000 population (Figure 1, Table 1).

Chlamydia by Region

In 2015, rates of reported cases of chlamydia were highest 

in the South (520.5 cases per 100,000 population, 7.0% 

increase from 2014), followed by the Midwest (464.8, 

3.8% increase from 2014), West (464.4, 6.4% increase 

from 2014), and Northeast (425.9, 5.1% increase from 

2014) (Table 3). During 2006–2012, rates of reported cases 

of chlamydia increased in all regions (Figure 2). During 

2012–2013, rates decreased in the Northeast, Midwest, and 

South and remained stable in the West. During 2013–2015, 

rates increased in all regions, with the largest increase 

occurring in the West (421.1 to 464.4 cases per 100,000 

population, 10.3% increase) (Table 3).

Chlamydia by State

In 2015, rates of reported cases of chlamydia by state 

ranged from 233.3 cases per 100,000 population in New 

Hampshire to 768.3 cases in Alaska (Figure 3, Table 2); 

Chlamydia
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Chlamydia 7

the rate in the District of Columbia was 1,198.1 cases per 

100,000 population (Table 3). During 2014–2015, rates of 

reported chlamydia increased in 37 states and the District 

of Columbia. The rate of reported chlamydia cases in 2015 

was above the U.S. total in 18 states.

Chlamydia by Metropolitan 

Statistical Area

The rate of reported cases of chlamydia per 100,000 

population in the 50 most populous metropolitan statistical 

areas (MSAs) increased 5.5% during 2014–2015 (469.1 to 

494.8 cases per 100,000 population, respectively) (Table 

6). In 2015, 56.7% of chlamydia cases were reported 

by these MSAs. During 2014–2015, the rate of reported 

cases of chlamydia in these MSAs increased 3.1% among 

women (626.7 to 646.4 cases per 100,000 females) and 

10.5% among men (303.4 to 335.4 cases per 100,000 

males) (Tables 7 and 8).

Chlamydia by County

In 2015, 784 (25.0%) of 3,141 counties had rates of 

reported chlamydia higher than 444 cases per 100,000 

population (Figure 4). Seventy counties and independent 

cities reported 43.0% of all chlamydia cases in 2015 (Table 

9). Of the 70 counties and independent cities reporting 

the highest number of chlamydia cases, 49 (70.0%) were 

located in the South and West (Table 9).

Chlamydia by Sex

In 2015, 1,045,143 cases of chlamydia were reported 

among females for a rate of 645.5 cases per 100,000 

females (Table 4). After increasing each year during 2000–

2011, the rate among females decreased during 2011–2013 

from 643.4 to 619.0 cases per 100,000 females (Figure 1). 

The rate among females increased 0.4% during 2013–2014 

and increased 3.8% during 2014–2015, for a total increase 

of 4.3% since 2013.

After remaining stable during 2012–2013, the rate of 

reported cases of chlamydia among males increased each 

year during 2013–2015 (for a total increase of 17.1%). 

During 2014–2015, the rate among men increased 10.5%, 

from 276.1 to 305.2 per 100,000 males. As in previous 

years, the rate of reported chlamydia cases among females 

was about two times the rate among males in 2015, likely 

reflecting a larger number of women screened for this 

infection (Figure 1, Tables 4 and 5). The lower rate among 

men also suggests that many of the sex partners of women 

with chlamydia are not receiving a diagnosis of chlamydia 

or being reported as having chlamydia.

However, with the advent of highly sensitive NAATs 

that can be performed on urine, chlamydial infection 

is increasingly being diagnosed in symptomatic and 

asymptomatic men. During 2011–2015, rates of reported 

cases among men increased 20.0% (from 254.4 to 305.2 

cases per 100,000 males) compared with a 0.3% increase 

among women during the same time period (from 643.4 to 

645.5 cases per 100,000 females) (Tables 4 and 5). 

Chlamydia by Age

The rates of reported cases of chlamydia are highest 

among adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 years 

(Table 10). In 2015, the rate of reported cases of chlamydia 

among 15–19 year olds was 1,857.8 cases per 100,000 

population and the rate among 20–24 year olds was 

2,574.9 cases per 100,000 population (Table 10).

Among females, the highest age-specific rates of reported 

cases of chlamydia in 2015 were among those aged 15–19 

years (2,994.4 cases per 100,000 females) and 20–24 years 

(3,730.3 cases per 100,000 females) (Figure 5, Table 10). 

Within these age groups, rates were highest among women 

aged 19 years (4,790.9 cases per 100,000 females) and 20 

years (4,646.2 cases per 100,000 females) (Table 12). After 

increasing steadily during 2000–2011, the rate among 

women aged 15–19 years decreased each year during 

2011–2014 (for a total decrease of 15.4%), but increased 

1.5% during 2014–2015. The rate increased 2.7% among 

women aged 20–24 years during 2014–2015 (3,632.7 to 

3730.3 per 100,000 females) (Table 10).

In 2015, the age-specific rates of reported cases of 

chlamydia among men, although substantially lower than 

rates among women, were highest in those aged 20–24 

years (1,467.8 cases per 100,000 males) (Figure 5, Table 

10). Similar to trends in women, after increasing for the 

last decade, rates among men aged 15–19 years decreased 

each year during 2011–2014 (for a total decrease of 

11.5%), but increased 6.3% during 2014–2015 (722.4 to 

767.6 per 100,000 males). Among men aged 20–24 years, 

the rate increased 7.8% during 2014–2015 (1,361.3 to 

1,467.8 cases per 100,000 males).

Chlamydia by Race/Ethnicity

Among the 50 states that submitted race and ethnicity data 

in 2015 according to Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) standards (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix), 

rates of reported cases of chlamydia were highest among 

Black men and women (Figure P, Table 11B). The rate 

of reported cases of chlamydia among Blacks was 5.9 

times the rate among Whites (1,097.6 and 187.2 cases 

per 100,000 population, respectively). The rate among 

American Indians/Alaska Natives (709.1 cases per 100,000 

population) was 3.8 times the rate among Whites. The rate 

among Hispanics (372.7 cases per 100,000 population) 

was 2.0 times the rate among Whites. The rate among 

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (622.1 cases per 

100,000 population) was 3.3 times the rate among Whites. 
8 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015

The rate among Asians was lower than the rate among 

Whites (114.1 cases per 100,000 population).

During 2011–2015, 45 states submitted race and ethnicity 

data according to the OMB standards (see Section A1.5 

in the Appendix). During 2011–2015, rates of reported 

chlamydia cases increased among Asians (7.8%), Native 

Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (8.9%), Whites (14.6%), 

and Multirace (43.1%), and decreased in Blacks (11.2%) 

(Figure 6). Rates were stable among American Indians/

Alaska Natives and Hispanics during 2011–2015. During 

2014–2015, rates increased among Whites (2.6%), 

Asians (7.2%), Multirace (5.2%), and Hispanics (2.0%), 

and decreased among American Indians/Alaska Natives 

(3.5%). Rates were stable among Blacks and Native 

Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders during 2014–2015 

(Figure 6).

More information on chlamydia rates among race/ethnicity 

groups can be found in the Special Focus Profiles.

Chlamydia by Reporting Source

In 2015, 7.2% of chlamydia cases were reported from STD 

clinics, 78.4% were reported from venues outside of STD 

clinics, and 14.4% had an unknown source of report (Table 

A2). Over time, the proportion of male cases reported from 

STD clinic sites has decreased substantially, from 32.7% in 

2006 to 12.9% in 2015 (Figure 7). In 2015, among women, 

only 4.5% of chlamydia cases were reported through an 

STD clinic (Table A2). A large proportion of cases among 

women (32.8%) were reported from private physicians/

HMOs (Figure 8). Among men, 12.9% of chlamydia cases 

were reported from an STD clinic in 2015 and 24.4% were 

reported from private physicians/HMOs (Table A2, 

Figure 7).

Chlamydia Prevalence in the 

Population

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

(NHANES; see Section A2.4 in the Appendix) is a 

nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population that provides an important 

measure of chlamydia disease burden in respondents aged 

14–39 years. During 2007–2012, the overall prevalence 

of chlamydia among persons aged 14–39 years was 1.7% 

(95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.4–2.0) (Figure 10). 

Among sexually active females aged 14–24 years, the 

population targeted for screening, prevalence was 4.7% 

(95% CI: 3.2–6.1), with the highest prevalence among 

non-Hispanic Black females (13.5%, 95% CI: 9.2–17.7) 

(Figure 11).1

Chlamydia Positivity in Selected 

Populations

The STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) is an ongoing 

collaboration of 10 state, county, and city health 

departments collecting enhanced clinical and behavioral 

information among patients attending 30 STD clinics in the 

SSuN jurisdictions (See Section A2.2 of the Appendix).

In 2015, the proportion of STD clinic patients testing 

positive for chlamydia varied by age, sex, and sexual 

behavior. Adolescent men who have sex with women 

only (MSW) had the highest prevalence (31.2%), either 

reflecting disproportionate testing of men with urethritis 

or targeted testing of partners of women diagnosed with 

chlamydia. Prevalence among all those tested decreased 

with age, though the variation in prevalence by age was 

not as pronounced for gay, bisexual, and other men who 

have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM) 

(Figure 9).

Chlamydia Among Special 

Populations

More information on chlamydia among women of 

reproductive age, adolescents and young adults, MSM, 

and minority populations is presented in the Special Focus 

Profiles.

Chlamydia Summary

Chlamydia continues to be the most commonly reported 

nationally notifiable disease, with 1,526,658 cases reported 

in 2015 and increasing rates of reported cases over each 

of the last two years. Rates of reported chlamydia cases 

increased 5.9% during 2014–2015. The Southern region of 

the U.S. reported the highest rate of chlamydial infection 

in 2015, as well as the largest rate increase during 2014–

2015, at 7.0%. However, the Western region experienced 

the largest rate increase in reported chlamydia cases 

during 2011–2015, at 10.7%. In 2015, the rate of reported 

cases of chlamydia in women was 2.1 times the rate in 

men; however, the rate in men increased 20.0% during 

2011–2015, whereas, the rate in women increased only 

0.3% during the same time frame. After decreasing during 

2011–2014, the rate among women aged 15–19 years 

increased 1.5% during 2014–2015.

The facilities reporting chlamydial infections have changed 

over the last 10 years, with most (78.4%) chlamydia cases 

in 2015 reported from venues outside of STD clinics. The 

proportion of men being diagnosed with chlamydia in STD 

clinics decreased 60.6% from 32.7% in 2006 to 12.9% 
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Chlamydia 9

in 2015, and approximately one-third of chlamydia cases 

among women were reported from private physicians/

HMOs. Racial differences also persist; reported case rates 

and prevalence estimates among Blacks continue to be 

substantially higher than among all other racial/ethnic 

groups. However, both test positivity and the number of 

reported cases of C. trachomatis infections remain high 

among most age groups, racial/ethnic groups, geographic 

areas, and both sexes. 

1 Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis

genital infection among persons aged 14-39 years - United States, 2007-2012. 

MMWR. 2014 September 26, 2014; 63(38): 834-8.

2 Stamm WE. Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the adult. Sexually 

Transmitted Diseases. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2008. p. 575-606.

3 Scholes D, Stergachis A, Heidrich FE, et al. Prevention of pelvic inflammatory 

disease by screening for cervical chlamydial infection. N Engl J Med. 1996; 

334(21): 1362-6.

4 Oakeshott P, Kerry S, Aghaizu A, et al. Randomised controlled trial of 

screening for Chlamydia trachomatis to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease: 

the POPI (prevention of pelvic infection) trial. BMJ. 2010; 340: c1642.

5 Fleming DT, Wasserheit JN. From epidemiological synergy to public health 

policy and practice: the contribution of other sexually transmitted diseases to 

sexual transmission of HIV infection. Sex Transm Infect. 1999; 75(1): 3-17.

6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases 

treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2015; 64(RR-3): 1-137. 

Erratum in: MMWR 2015; 64(33): 924.

7 National Committee for Quality Assurance. The state of healthcare quality 

2015. Washington, DC: National Committee for Quality Assurance; 2015: 

p. 67-68.
10 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 1. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex, United States, 2000–2015

NOTE: Data collection for chlamydia began in 1984 and chlamydia was made nationally notifiable in 1995; however, chlamydia was not reportable in all 50 states 

and the District of Columbia until 2000. Refer to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) website for more information: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/

nndss/conditions/chlamydia-trachomatis-infection/. 

Figure 2. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 2006–2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Chlamydia 11

Figure 3. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of reported cases of chlamydia for the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 475.3 cases per 100,000 

population.

Figure 4. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015

NOTE: Refer to the NCHHSTP Atlas for further county-level rate information: https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/atlas/.
12 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 5. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, United States, 2015

Figure 6. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 45 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats during 2011–2015 (see Section A1.5 in the 

Appendix).
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Chlamydia 13

Figure 7. Chlamydia — Reported Cases Among Men by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015

* HMO = health maintenance organization; HD = health department.

†

 The variable “Hospital-Other” (i.e., other hospital clinics/facilities) was not added as a response option for reporting source until calendar year 2007; therefore, 

there are no data available for the “Hospital-Other” variable in 2006.

NOTE: All Other includes: Drug Treatment, Tuberculosis Clinic, Correctional Facility, Laboratory, Blood Bank, Labor and Delivery, Prenatal Care, National Job Training 

Program, School-based Clinic, Mental Health Provider, Indian Health Service, Military, Emergency Room, and HIV Counseling and Testing Site. 

Figure 8. Chlamydia — Reported Cases Among Women by Reporting Source, United States, 

2006–2015

* HMO = health maintenance organization; HD = health department.

†

 The variable “Hospital-Other” (i.e., other hospital clinics/facilities) was not added as a response option for reporting source until calendar year 2007; therefore, 

there are no data available for the “Hospital-Other” variable in 2006.

NOTE: All Other includes: Drug Treatment, Tuberculosis Clinic, Correctional Facility, Blood Bank, Labor and Delivery, Prenatal Care, National Job Training Program, 

School-based Clinic, Mental Health Provider, Indian Health Service, Military, Emergency Room, STD Clinic, and HIV Counseling and Testing Site. 
14 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 9. Chlamydia — Proportion of STD Clinic Patients Testing Positive* by Age Group, Sex, and 

Sexual Behavior, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* Results based on data obtained from patients (n=125,238) attending SSuN STD clinics in 2015 in all SSuN jurisdictions, excluding Minnesota.

†

 MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.

NOTE: See Section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods. 

Figure 10. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Persons Aged 14–39 Years by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, or Age 

Group, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2012

NOTE: Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.

SOURCE: Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection among persons 

aged 14–39 — United States, 2007–2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Sep 26;63(38):834–8.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Chlamydia 15

Figure 11. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Sexually-Active Women Aged 14–39 Years by Race/

Ethnicity and Age Group, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2012

NOTE: Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.

SOURCE: Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection among persons 

aged 14–39 — United States, 2007–2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Sep 26;63(38):834–8.
16 National Profile: Chlamydia STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 17

Background

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported 

notifiable disease in the United States. Infections due 

to Neisseria gonorrhoeae, like those resulting from 

Chlamydia trachomatis, are a major cause of pelvic 

inflammatory disease (PID) in the United States. PID 

can lead to serious outcomes in women, such as tubal 

infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. 

In addition, epidemiologic and biologic studies provide 

evidence that gonococcal infections facilitate the 

transmission of HIV infection.1 Together, sexual behavior 

and community prevalence can increase the risk of 

acquiring gonorrhea. Social determinants of health, such as 

socioeconomic status, discrimination, and access to quality 

health care, may contribute to the burden of gonorrhea in a 

community.2

In 2009, the national rate of reported gonorrhea cases 

reached an historic low of 98.1 cases per 100,000 

population (Figure 12, Table 1). However, during 

2009–2012, the rate increased slightly each year to 106.7 

cases per 100,000 population in 2012. In 2013, the rate 

decreased slightly to 105.3 cases per 100,000 population 

and then during 2013–2015, the rate increased each year. 

In 2015, a total of 395,216 cases were reported for a rate of 

123.9 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population (Figure 12, 

Table 1).

The increase in the gonorrhea rate during 2014–2015 

was observed among both males and females; however, 

the increase was larger among males (Figure 13). During 

2014–2015, the gonorrhea rate increased in all regions 

and during 2011–2015, with the largest increase in the 

West (92.2%; 61.4 to 118.0 cases per 100,000 population) 

(Figure 14, Table 14). The rate of gonorrhea continued to 

increase among persons in every age group among those 

aged 15 years and older during 2014–2015 (Table 21).

N. gonorrhoeae has progressively developed resistance to 

each of the antimicrobials used for treatment of gonorrhea. 

Most recently, declining susceptibility to cefixime (an 

oral cephalosporin antibiotic) resulted in a change to 

the CDC treatment guidelines, so that dual therapy with 

ceftriaxone (an injectable cephalosporin) and azithromycin 

is now the only CDC-recommended treatment regimen 

for gonorrhea.3 The emerging threat of cephalosporin 

resistance highlights the need for continued surveillance of 

N. gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility. 

The combination of persistently high gonorrhea morbidity 

in some populations and the threat of cephalosporinresistant gonorrhea reinforces the need to better understand 

the epidemiology of gonorrhea.

Interpreting Rates of Reported 

Cases of Gonorrhea

Although gonorrhea case reporting is useful for monitoring 

disease trends, the number of gonorrhea cases reported to 

CDC is affected by many factors in addition to the actual 

occurrence of the infection within the population. Changes 

in the burden of gonorrhea may be masked by changes 

in screening practices (e.g., screening for chlamydia 

with tests that also detect N. gonorrhoeae infections or 

increased screening at extra-genital anatomic sites), the use 

of diagnostic tests with different test performance (e.g., the 

broader use of nucleic acid amplification tests [NAATs]), 

and changes in reporting practices. As with other STDs, 

the reporting of gonorrhea cases to CDC is incomplete.4

For these reasons, supplemental data on gonorrhea 

prevalence in persons screened in a variety of settings 

are useful in assessing the burden of disease in selected 

populations.

Gonorrhea — United States

In 2015, a total of 395,216 cases of gonorrhea were 

reported in the United States, yielding a rate of 123.9 

gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population (Table 1). Since 

2014, the rate of reported gonorrhea cases increased 12.8% 

since 2014, and increased 19.9% since 2011.

Gonorrhea by Region

In 2015, as in previous years, the South had the highest 

rate of reported gonorrhea cases (146.3 cases per 100,000 

population) among the four regions of the United 

States, followed by the West (118.0 cases per 100,000 

population), the Midwest (115.7 cases per 100,000 

population), and the Northeast (94.2 cases per 100,000 

population) (Figure 14, Table 14). This is the first year 

that the West has had a higher rate than both the Midwest 

and Northeast. During 2014–2015, the gonorrhea rate 

increased in all four regions: 18.1% in the West, 12.6% 

in the South, 11.6% in the Northeast, and 8.9% in the 

Midwest (Figure 14, Table 14). During 2011–2015, the 

rate of gonorrhea in the West increased by 92.2% (61.4 to 

118.0 cases per 100,000 population) while other regions 

had smaller overall increases during this time period (i.e., 

10.3% in the Northeast, 9.3% in the South, and 4.4% in the 

Midwest). 

Gonorrhea by State

In 2015, rates of reported gonorrhea cases per 100,000 

population ranged by state from 18.5 in New Hampshire 

to 221.1 in Louisiana; the gonorrhea rate in the District of 

Gonorrhea
18 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Columbia was 416.2 cases per 100,000 population (Figure 

15, Table 13).

During 2014–2015, gonorrhea rates increased in 80% of 

states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 18% of 

states, and remained the same in 2% (Table 14).

Gonorrhea by Metropolitan 

Statistical Area 

The overall rate of reported gonorrhea cases in the 50 

most populous metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) was 

137.0 cases per 100,000 population in 2015 and represents 

a 12.9% increase compared with the rate in 2014 (121.4 

cases per 100,000 population) (Table 17). In 2015, 60.6% 

of reported gonorrhea cases were reported by these MSAs. 

Since 2011, the gonorrhea rate among females in the 50 

most populous MSAs has been lower than the rate among 

males (Tables 18 and 19). In 2015, the rate among females 

in these MSAs was 107.0 cases per 100,000 females, while 

the rate among males was 167.9 cases per 100,000 males.

Gonorrhea by County

In 2015, 51% of reported gonorrhea cases occurred in 

just 70 counties or independent cities (Table 20). In 2015, 

806 counties (25.7%) in the United States had a rate less 

than or equal to 16 cases per 100,000 population (Figure 

16). The rate ranged from 17 to 41 cases per 100,000 

population in 766 counties (24.3%), ranged from 42 to 

97 cases per 100,000 population in 787 counties (25.1%), 

and was more than 97 cases per 100,000 population in 782 

counties (24.9%). As in previous years, counties with the 

highest gonorrhea rates were concentrated in the South.

Gonorrhea by Sex

As was observed during 2013–2014, the rate of reported 

gonorrhea cases among males was higher than the rate 

among females in 2015 (Figure 13, Tables 15 and 16). 

During 2014–2015, the gonorrhea rate among males 

increased 18.3% (119.0 to 140.9 cases per 100,000 males), 

and the rate among females increased 6.8% (100.4 to 

107.2 cases per 100,000 females). During 2011–2015, 

the rate among males increased 44.2% (97.7 to 140.9 

cases per 100,000 males), while the rate among females 

decreased 0.7% (108.0 to 107.2 cases per 100,000 

females). The magnitude of the increase among males 

suggest either increased transmission or increased case 

ascertainment (e.g., through increased extra-genital 

screening) among gay, bisexual, and other men who 

have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM). 

However, most jurisdictions do not routinely report sex 

of sex partner or site of infection for gonorrhea cases, so 

trends in gonorrhea rates among MSM over time cannot be 

assessed.

Gonorrhea by Region and Sex

In all regions, the rate of gonorrhea increased among 

both males and females during 2014–2015 and the rate of 

increase among males was larger than the rate of increase 

among females (Tables 15 and 16). The rate of reported 

gonorrhea cases increased the most in the West (20.7% 

among males and 13.8% among females) and in the South, 

where the rate of reported gonorrhea cases increased 

19.2% among males and 6.2% among females (Tables 15 

and 16). 

Gonorrhea by Age

In 2015, rates of reported gonorrhea cases continued to 

be highest among adolescents and young adults (Figure 

17, Table 21). In 2015, the highest rates among females 

were observed among those aged 20–24 years (546.9 cases 

per 100,000 females) and 15–19 years (442.2 cases per 

100,000 females). Among males, the rate was also highest 

among those aged 20–24 years (539.1 cases per 100,000 

males) and 25–29 years (448.8 cases per 100,000 males). 

In 2015, persons aged 15–44 years accounted for 92.7% 

of reported gonorrhea cases with known age. Among 

15–19 year olds, rates decreased during 2011–2014; 

however, during 2014–2015, rates increased 5.2%. During 

2014–2015, the gonorrhea rate also increased among other 

age groups: 7.2% among those aged 20–24 years, 19.1% 

among those aged 25–29 years, 19.0% among those aged 

30–34 years, 25.7% among those aged 35–39 years, and 

18.5% among those aged 40–44 years (Figures 18 and 19, 

Table 21). Among persons aged 15–44 years, increases 

were observed in all age groups for both men and women.

Gonorrhea by Race/Ethnicity

In 2015, among the 50 states that submitted data in the 

race and ethnicity categories according to Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) standards (see Section 

A1.5 in the Appendix), the rate of reported gonorrhea 

cases remained highest among Blacks (424.9 cases per 

100,000 population) (Table 22B). The rate among Blacks 

was 9.6 times the rate among Whites (44.2 cases per 

100,000 population). The gonorrhea rate among American 

Indians/Alaska Natives (192.8 cases per 100,000 

population) was 4.4 times that of Whites, the rate among 

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (123.0 cases per 

100,000 population) was 2.8 times that of Whites, the rate 

among Hispanics (80.5 cases per 100,000 population) was 

1.8 times that of Whites, and the rate among Asians (22.9 

cases per 100,000 population) was half the rate of Whites 

(Table 22B).

During 2011–2015, among the 45 states that submitted 

race and ethnicity data according to OMB standards (see 

Section A1.5 in the Appendix) for all five years during 

that period, the gonorrhea rate increased among Whites 
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 19

(75.1%), American Indians/Alaska Natives (71.3%), 

Asians (70.0%), Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders 

(61.0%), and Hispanics (53.8%) (Figure 20). During this 

same time period, the gonorrhea rate decreased 4.0% 

among Blacks.

More information on gonorrhea rates among race and 

ethnicity groups can be found in the Special Focus 

Profiles.

Gonorrhea by Reporting Source

In 2015, 11.9% of gonorrhea cases were reported from 

STD clinics, 74.2% were reported from venues outside of 

STD clinics, and 13.9% had an unknown source of report

(Table A2). 

During 2006–2015, the number of gonorrhea cases 

reported by STD clinics declined 60.1% among males and 

53.3% among females. During 2014–2015, the number 

of gonorrhea cases reported by STD clinics continued to 

decrease; 12.2% among males and 4.9% among females 

(Figures 21 and 22).

In 2015, among males, private physicians/health 

maintenance organizations (HMOs) (20.3 %) and STD 

clinics (15.1 %) were the most common reporting sources, 

followed by other hospital clinics/facilities (11.5%), other 

health department clinics (8.9%), and emergency rooms 

(5.9%) (Figure 21). Among females, private physicians/

HMOs (24.8%) were the most common reporting source, 

followed by other hospital clinics/facilities (12.7%), STD 

clinics (7.8%), family planning clinics (7.6%), and other 

health department clinics (6.8%) (Figure 22).

STD Surveillance Network

The STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) is an ongoing 

collaboration of states and independently funded cities 

collecting enhanced information on a representative 

sample of gonorrhea case reports received from all 

reporting sources in their jurisdiction. Enhanced gonorrhea 

case report data for this report were obtained from 

Cycle 3 of SSuN, which includes 10 jurisdictions, of 

which 8 collected data on randomly sampled cases in 

2015. SSuN collaborators interviewed 2,278 gonorrhea 

cases representing 3% of total morbidity reported from 

participating jurisdictions during that time period. The 

estimated burden of disease represented by MSM, men 

who have sex with women only (MSW), and women 

varied substantially across collaborating sites (Figure 23). 

San Francisco had the highest proportion of estimated 

MSM cases (87.8 %), while the lowest proportion of 

morbidity estimated to be attributed to MSM was found 

in Baltimore at 16.9% (Figure 23). Across all SSuN 

collaborating jurisdictions in 2015, 42.2% of gonorrhea 

cases were estimated to be among MSM, 25.4% among 

MSW, and 32.4% among women. 

Clinic data for this report include information from 

patients attending STD clinics during 2015 in the 10 

jurisdictions participating in Cycle 3 of SSuN. In 2015, 

the proportion of STD clinic patients who tested positive 

for gonorrhea varied by age group, sex, and sex of sex 

partner (Figure 24). Among those attending these clinics, 

MSM disproportionately had higher positivity rates 

when compared to MSW and women in all age groups. 

While positivity rates declined with increasing age for 

heterosexual males and females, a much slower decline by 

age was seen in MSM. 

Additional information about SSuN methodology can be 

found in Section A2.2 of the Appendix.

Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance 

Project

Antimicrobial resistance remains an important 

consideration in the treatment of gonorrhea.3,5–7 In 1986, 

the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), a 

national sentinel surveillance system, was established to 

monitor trends in antimicrobial susceptibilities of urethral 

N. gonorrhoeae strains in the United States.7 Data are 

collected from selected STD clinic sentinel sites and from 

regional laboratories (Figure 25).

Antimicrobial susceptibility is measured by the minimum 

inhibitory concentration (MIC), the lowest antimicrobial 

concentration that inhibits bacterial growth in the 

laboratory. Increases in MICs demonstrate that the bacteria 

can survive at higher antimicrobial concentrations in the 

laboratory. Monitoring of MIC trends is useful because 

increasing MICs can oftentimes be an early indicator of the 

emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Information on the antimicrobial susceptibility criteria 

used in GISP can be found in Section A2.3 in the 

Appendix. More information about GISP and additional 

data can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/std/GISP.

Ceftriaxone Susceptibility

Susceptibility testing for ceftriaxone began in 1987. 

During 2007–2015, the percentage of GISP isolates that 

exhibited elevated ceftriaxone MICs, defined as ≥0.125 

μg/ml, fluctuated between 0.1% and 0.4% (Figure 26). 

Five isolates with decreased ceftriaxone susceptibility 

(MIC = 0.5 μg/ml) have been previously identified in 

GISP: one from San Diego, California (1987), two from 

Cincinnati, Ohio (1992 and 1993), one from Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania (1997), and one from Oklahoma City, 

Oklahoma (2012). 
20 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Cefixime Susceptibility

Susceptibility testing for cefixime began in 1992, was 

discontinued in 2007, and was restarted in 2009. The 

percentage of isolates with elevated cefixime MICs 

(≥0.25μg/ ml) declined from 1.4% in 2011 to 0.5% in 2015 

(Figure 26).

Azithromycin Susceptibility

Susceptibility testing for azithromycin began in 1992. 

Figure 27 displays the distribution of azithromycin MICs 

among GISP isolates collected during 2011–2015. Most 

isolates had MICs of 0.125–0.5 μg/ml. During 2011–2013, 

the percentage of isolates with reduced azithromycin 

susceptibility (MICs ≥ 2 μg/ml) ranged from 0.3% to 

0.6%; during 2013–2015, the percentage increased from 

0.6% to 2.6%.

Ciprofloxacin Susceptibility

During 1999–2007, the percentage of isolates that were 

resistant to ciprofloxacin increased from 0.4% to 14.8%. 

The percentage declined in 2008 and 2009 and then 

increased. In 2015, 22.3% of GISP isolates were resistant 

to ciprofloxacin. Among isolates from MSM, 32.1% 

were resistant; 16.4% of isolates from MSW exhibited 

ciprofloxacin resistance.

Susceptibility to Other Antimicrobials

In 2015, 39.6% of isolates collected from GISP sites were 

resistant to penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, or some 

combination of those antimicrobials (Figure 28). Although 

these antimicrobials are no longer recommended for 

treatment of gonorrhea, the resistance phenotypes remain 

common. Conversely, 60.4% of isolates were susceptible 

to all three of these antimicrobials.

Antimicrobial Treatments Given for 

Gonorrhea

The antimicrobial agents given to GISP patients for 

gonorrhea therapy are shown in Figure 29. The proportion 

of patients treated with ceftriaxone 250 mg increased 

from 84.0% in 2011 to 96.9% in 2013, then decreased to 

94.4% in 2015. In 2015, 1.5% of patients were treated with 

azithromycin 2 grams as monotherapy and 17 patients 

(0.3%) were treated with cefixime.

Gonorrhea Among Special 

Populations

More information about gonorrhea in race/ethnicity 

groups, women of reproductive age, adolescents, and 

MSM can be found in the Special Focus Profiles.

Gonorrhea Summary

The national rate of reported gonorrhea cases reached a 

historic low in 2009, but increased each year during 2009– 

2012. After a temporary decrease in 2013, the gonorrhea 

rate increased again during 2014–2015. This increase 

was largely attributable to increases among men. High 

gonorrhea rates persist in certain geographic areas, among 

adolescents and young adults, and in some racial/ethnic 

groups.

GISP continues to monitor for the emergence of decreased 

susceptibility and resistance to cephalosporins and 

azithromycin.

1 Fleming DT, Wasserheit JN. From epidemiological synergy to public health 

policy and practice: the contribution of other sexually transmitted diseases to 

sexual transmission of HIV infection. Sex Transm Infect 1999; 75(1): 3–17.

2 Hogben M, Leichliter JS. Social determinants and sexually transmitted disease 

disparities. Sex Transm Dis. 2008 Dec; 35(12 Suppl):S13-8.

3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases 

treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015; 64(No. 

RR-3): 1–137.

4 Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted infections 

among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex 

Transm Dis. 2013 Mar;40(3):187-93. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e318286bb53. 

Review.

5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Update to CDC’s sexually 

transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006: fluoroquinolones no longer 

recommended for treatment of gonococcal infections. MMWR Morb Mortal 

Wkly Rep 2007; 56: 332–336.

6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases 

treatment guidelines, 2010. MMWR Recomm Rep 2010; 59(No.RR-12): 

1–110.

7 Schwarcz S, Zenilman J, Schnell D, et al. National surveillance of 

antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. JAMA 1990; 1413–1417.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 21

Figure 12. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Year, United States, 1941–2015

NOTE: Data collection for gonorrhea began in 1941; however, gonorrhea became nationally notifiable in 1944. Refer to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance 

System (NNDSS) website for more information: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/gonorrhea/.

Figure 13. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex, United States, 2006–2015
22 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 14. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 2006–2015

Figure 15. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of reported cases of gonorrhea for the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 122.7 cases per 100,000 

population.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 23

Figure 16. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015

NOTE: Refer to the NCHHSTP Atlas for further county-level rate information: https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/atlas/.

Figure 17. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, United States, 2015
24 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 18. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–44 Years by Age Group, 

United States, 2006–2015

Figure 19. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–44 Years by Age Group, 

United States, 2006–2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 25

Figure 20. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 45 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats during 2011–2015 (see Section A1.5 in the 

Appendix).

Figure 21. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases Among Men by Reporting Source, United States, 2006–2015

* HMO = health maintenance organization; HD = health department.

† The variable “Hospital-Other” (i.e., other hospital clinics/facilities) was not added as a response option for reporting source until calendar year 2007; therefore, 

there are no data available for the “Hospital-Other” variable in 2006.

NOTE: All Other includes: Drug Treatment, Tuberculosis Clinic, Correctional Facility, Laboratory, Blood Bank, Labor and Delivery, Prenatal Care, National Job Training 

Program, School-based Clinic, Mental Health Provider, Indian Health Service, Military, Family Planning, and HIV Counseling and Testing Site. 
26 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 22. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases Among Women by Reporting Source, United States, 

2006–2015

* HMO = health maintenance organization; HD = health department.

† The variable “Hospital-Other” (i.e., other hospital clinics/facilities) was not added as a response option for reporting source until calendar year 2007; therefore, 

there are no data available for the “Hospital-Other” variable in 2006.

NOTE: All Other includes: Drug Treatment, Tuberculosis Clinic, Correctional Facility, Laboratory, Blood Bank, Labor and Delivery, Prenatal Care, National Job Training 

Program, School-based Clinic, Mental Health Provider, Indian Health Service, Military, Emergency Room, and HIV Counseling and Testing Site. 

Figure 23. Estimated Proportion* of MSM†, MSW†, and Women Among Gonorrhea Cases by 

Jurisdiction, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* Estimate based on weighted analysis of data obtained from interviews (n=2,278) conducted among a random sample of reported gonorrhea cases during June 

to December 2015.

† MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.

‡ California data excludes San Francisco (shown separately).

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods. 
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 27

Figure 24. Gonorrhea — Proportion of STD Clinic Patients Testing Positive* by Age Group, Sex, and 

Sexual Behavior, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* Results based on data obtained from patients (n=124,441) attending SSuN STD clinics in 2015 in all SSuN jurisdictions, excluding Minnesota.

†

 MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods.

Figure 25. Location of Participating Sentinel Sites and Regional Laboratories, Gonococcal Isolate 

Surveillance Project (GISP), United States, 2015

NOTE: Austin is a regional laboratory only.
28 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 26. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Isolates with Elevated Ceftriaxone Minimum 

Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) (≥0.125 μg/ml) and Elevated Cefixime MICs (≥0.25 μg/ml), 

Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2006–2015

* Isolates not tested for cefixime susceptibility in 2007 and 2008.

Figure 27. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Distribution of Azithromycin Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations 

(MICs) by Year, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2011–2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Gonorrhea 29

Figure 28. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Distribution of Isolates with Penicillin, Tetracycline, and/or 

Ciprofloxacin Resistance, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2015

NOTE: PenR = penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae and chromosomally-mediated penicillin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae; TetR = chromosomally- and 

plasmid-mediated tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae; and QRNG = quinolone-resistant N. gonorrhoeae.

Figure 29. Distribution of Primary Antimicrobial Drugs Used to Treat Gonorrhea Among Participants, 

Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 1988–2015

NOTE: For 2015, “Other” includes clinical trial study drugs (2.7%), azithromycin 2g (1.5%), no therapy (0.6%), and other less frequently used drugs (0.1%).
30 National Profile: Gonorrhea STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 31

Background

Syphilis, a genital ulcerative disease caused by the 

bacterium Treponema pallidum, is associated with 

significant complications if left untreated and can facilitate 

the transmission and acquisition of HIV infection.1–3

Additionally, historical data demonstrate that untreated 

early syphilis in pregnant women, if acquired during the 4 

years before delivery, can lead to infection of the fetus in 

up to 80% of cases and may result in stillbirth or death of 

the infant in up to 40% of cases.4

In 2000 and 2001, the national rate of reported primary and 

secondary (P&S) syphilis cases was 2.1 cases per 100,000 

population, the lowest rate since reporting began in 1941 

(Figure 30, Table 1). However, the P&S syphilis rate has 

increased almost every year since 2000–2001. In 2015, a 

total of 23,872 P&S syphilis cases were reported. During 

2014–2015, the national P&S syphilis rate increased 

19.0% to 7.5 cases per 100,000 population, the highest rate 

reported since 1994.

During 2000–2015, the rise in the rate of reported P&S 

syphilis was primarily attributable to increased cases 

among men and, specifically, among gay, bisexual, and 

other men who have sex with men (collectively referred 

to as MSM) (Figures 31 and 32). However, during 

2013–2015, the rate increased both among men and 

women (Tables 28 and 29). During 2014–2015, the rate 

increased 18.1% among men and 27.3% among women. 

These increases among women are of particular concern 

because congenital syphilis cases tend to increase as the 

rate of P&S syphilis among women increases (Figure 44). 

During 2014–2015, the national, male, and female P&S 

syphilis rates increased in every region of the country 

(Figure 33, Tables 27, 28, and 29). Nationally, P&S 

syphilis rates increased in every age group among those 

aged 15–64 years and in every race/ethnicity group except 

for American Indians/Alaska Natives during 2014–2015 

(Figures 38 and 39, Table 34).

As in recent years, MSM accounted for the majority of 

reported P&S syphilis cases in 2015 (Figures 31 and 40). 

Nationally, the highest rates of P&S syphilis in 2015 were 

observed among men aged 25–29 years and 20–24 years, 

among men in the West and in the South, and among Black 

men (Figure 36, Tables 29, 34 and 35B).

Interpreting Rates of Reported 

Cases of Syphilis

Left untreated, infection with syphilis can span decades. 

Primary and secondary syphilis are the earliest stages of 

infection, reflect symptomatic disease, and are indicators 

of incident infection.5 For these reasons, trend analyses of 

syphilis focus on reported cases and rates of reported cases 

of P&S syphilis. When referring to “P&S syphilis”, case 

counts are the sum of both primary and secondary cases, 

and “rate of P&S syphilis” refers to this sum per unit 

population. 

Changes in reporting and screening practices can 

complicate interpretation of trends over time. To minimize 

the effect of changes in reporting over time, trend data in 

this report are restricted to jurisdictions that consistently 

report data of interest (e.g., sex of sex partner) for each 

year of a given time period. Details of these restrictions are 

provided in the text and footnotes of the pertinent text 

and figures.

P&S Syphilis — United States

In 2015, a total of 23,872 cases of P&S syphilis were 

reported in the United States, yielding a rate of 7.5 cases 

per 100,000 population (Table 1). This rate represents 

a 19.0% increase compared with 2014 (6.3 cases per 

100,000 population), and a 66.7% increase compared with 

2011 (4.5 cases per 100,000 population).

P&S Syphilis by Region

In 2015, the West had the highest rate of reported P&S 

syphilis cases (9.6 cases per 100,000 population), followed 

by the South (8.1 cases per 100,000 population), the 

Northeast (6.6 cases per 100,000 population), and the 

Midwest (4.8 cases per 100,000 population) (Table 27). 

During 2014–2015, the P&S syphilis rate increased in 

every region: 23.1% in the West, 20.0% in the Northeast, 

19.1% in the South, and 9.1% in the Midwest (Figure 33, 

Table 27).

P&S Syphilis by State

In 2015, rates of reported P&S syphilis cases per 100,000 

population ranged by state from 0.9 in Wyoming to 15.0 in 

Louisiana (Figure 34, Table 26). During 2014–2015, P&S 

syphilis rates increased in 74.0% (37/50) of states, and 

decreased in 26.0% (13/50) of states and in the District of 

Columbia (Table 27).

P&S Syphilis by Metropolitan 

Statistical Area

The overall rate of reported P&S syphilis cases in the 50 

most populous metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) was 

Syphilis
32 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

9.9 cases per 100,000 population in 2015, which represents 

a 15.1% increase since 2014 (8.6 cases per 100,000 

population) (Table 30). In 2015, 72.3% of reported P&S 

syphilis cases (74.0% of male cases and 55.7% of female 

cases) were reported by these 50 MSAs. In 2015, the rate 

among women in these MSAs was 1.4 cases per 100,000 

females, while the rate among men was 18.6 cases per 

100,000 males (Tables 31 and 32).

P&S Syphilis by County

In 2015, 65.3% of reported P&S syphilis cases occurred 

in 70 counties or independent cities (Table 33). Of 

3,141 counties in the United States, 445 (14.2%) had a 

rate greater than 6.4 cases per 100,000 population, 451 

(14.4%) reported a rate from 2.9 to 6.4 cases per 100,000 

population, 434 (13.8%) reported a rate from 0.3 to 2.8 

cases per 100,000 population, and 1,811 (57.7%) counties 

reported no cases of P&S syphilis in 2015 (Figure 35).

P&S Syphilis by Sex and Sexual 

Behavior

As has been observed in previous years, in 2015 the rate 

of reported P&S syphilis cases among men (13.7 cases 

per 100,000 males) was much higher than the rate among 

women (1.4 cases per 100,000 females), and men account 

for a large majority (90.3%) of P&S syphilis cases (Figure 

40, Tables 28 and 29). Among men, the rate of P&S 

syphilis has increased every year since 2000, and during 

2014–2015, the rate among men increased 18.1% (Figure 

32, Table 29). In contrast, the P&S syphilis rate among 

women has fluctuated between 0.8 and 1.7 cases per 

100,000 females since 2000 (Figure 32, Table 28). During 

2014–2015, the P&S syphilis rate among women 

increased 27.3%.

These increases in male and female P&S syphilis rates 

were observed in every region of the country during 

2014–2015. Among men, the rate increased 22.2% in 

the West, 19.6% in the Northeast, 18.6% in the South, 

and 8.9% in the Midwest (Table 29). Among women, the 

largest increases were observed in the West (41.7%) and 

Northeast (40.0%), followed by the South (20.0%) and the 

Midwest (11.1%) (Table 28).

MSM continued to account for the majority of P&S 

syphilis cases in 2015 (Figures 31 and 40). Of 23,872

reported P&S syphilis cases in 2015, 14,229 (59.6%) were 

among MSM, including 12,891 (54.0%) cases among men 

who had sex with men only and 1,338 (5.6%) cases among 

men who had sex with both men and women (Figure 

40). Overall, 3,178 (13.3%) cases were among men who 

had sex with women only (MSW), 2,298 (9.6%) were 

among women, 4,140 (17.3%) were among men without 

information about sex of sex partner, and 27 (0.1%) were 

cases reported with unknown sex (Figure 40). Among the 

17,407 male cases with information on sex of sex partner, 

81.7% occurred among MSM.

A total of 37 states were able to classify at least 70.0% of 

reported P&S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, or women 

each year during 2011–2015 (Figure 31). In these states 

during 2014–2015, the number of cases increased 12.8% 

among MSM, 22.5% among MSW, and 27.1% 

among women.

P&S Syphilis by Age

As in previous years, in 2015, rates of reported P&S 

syphilis cases were highest among persons aged 24–29 

years and 20–24 years (Figure 36, Table 34). In 2015, 

the highest rates were observed among men aged 25–29 

years (41.8 cases per 100,000 males) and 20–24 years 

(35.7 cases per 100,000 males). Similarly, the highest rates 

among women were among those aged 20–24 years (5.1 

cases per 100,000 females) and those aged 25–29 years 

(4.5 cases per 100,000 females).

During 2014–2015, the P&S syphilis rate increased in 

all age groups among those aged 15–64 years (Table 34). 

Rates increased 10.2% among those aged 15–19 years, 

14.9% among those aged 20–24 years, 26.3% among those 

aged 25–29 years, 23.1% among those aged 30–34 years, 

21.4% among those aged 35–39 years, 8.2% among those 

aged 40–44 years, 17.6% among those aged 45–54 years, 

and 31.8% among those aged 55–64 years (Table 34).

In 2015, persons aged 15–44 years accounted for 79.6% of 

reported P&S syphilis cases with known age. Among both 

men and women, the P&S syphilis rate increased during 

2014–2015 in all age groups among those aged 15–44 

years (Figures 37 and 38).

P&S Syphilis by Race/Ethnicity

In 2015, among the 49 states that submitted data in the 

race and ethnicity categories according to Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) standards (see Section 

A1.5 in the Appendix), the rate of reported P&S syphilis 

cases remained highest among Blacks (21.4 cases per 

100,000 population) (Table 35B). The rate among Blacks 

was 5.2 times the rate among Whites (4.1 cases per 

100,000 population). The P&S syphilis rates among Native 

Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (10.4 cases per 100,000 

population) was 2.5 times the rate among Whites, the rate 

among Hispanics (9.1 cases per 100,000 population) was 

2.2 times the rate among Whites, the rate among American 

Indians/Alaska Natives (5.6 cases per 100,000 population) 

was 1.4 times the rate among Whites, and the rate among 

Asians (3.0 cases per 100,000 population) was 0.7 times 

the rate among Whites (Table 35B).

During 2011–2015, among the 45 states that submitted 

race and ethnicity data according to OMB standards (see 
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 33

Section A1.5 in the Appendix) for all five years during 

that period, the P&S syphilis rate increased among all 

race/ethnicity groups (Figure 39). During 2014–2015, 

rates increased in every race/ethnicity group except 

for American Indians/Alaska Natives. The greatest 

increases during 2014–2015 were observed among Native 

Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (63.1%) and those who 

identified as Multiracial (45.5%), followed by Hispanics 

(25.4%), Whites (17.6%), Asians (15.4%), and 

Blacks (13.1%).

More information on P&S syphilis rates among racial/

ethnic groups can be found in the Special Focus Profiles.

P&S Syphilis and HIV Co-infection

Reported cases of P&S syphilis continue to be 

characterized by a high rate of HIV co-infection, 

particularly among MSM. In 2015, 31 states were able to 

classify at least 70.0% of reported P&S syphilis cases as 

MSM, MSW, or women and at least 70.0% of reported 

cases as HIV-positive or HIV-negative (Figure 41). Among 

P&S syphilis cases with known HIV-status in these states, 

49.8% of cases among MSM were HIV-positive, compared 

with 10.0% of cases among MSW, and 3.9% of cases 

among women.

P&S Syphilis by Reporting Source

In 2015, 20.1% of cases were reported from STD clinics, 

72.5% were reported from venues outside of STD clinics, 

and 7.4% of cases had an unknown source of report (Table 

A2). During 2014–2015, the number of P&S syphilis 

cases reported by STD clinics and by non-STD clinic 

settings increased (Figure 42). However, the proportion of 

P&S syphilis cases that were reported by STD clinics has 

declined over the last decade from 34.2% of cases in 2006 

to 20.1% of cases in 2015. In 2015, private physicians/

health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and STD 

clinics were the most common reporting sources among 

MSM (27.7% and 25.4%, respectively), MSW (21.8% 

and 23.9%, respectively), and women (25.4% and 16.7%, 

respectively) (Figure 43).

Congenital Syphilis

After decreasing from 10.5 to 8.4 reported congenital 

syphilis cases per 100,000 live births during 2008–2012, 

the rate of reported congenital syphilis has subsequently 

increased each year during 2012–2015 (Table 1). In 2015, 

there were a total of 487 reported cases of congenital 

syphilis, for a national rate of 12.4 cases per 100,000 live 

births. This rate represents a 6.0% increase relative to 2014 

(11.7 cases per 100,000 live births) and a 36.3% increase 

relative to 2011 (9.1 cases per 100,000 live births). As 

has been observed historically, these increases paralleled 

increases in P&S syphilis among women during 2014–

2015 (27.3%) and during 2011–2015 (55.6%) (Figure 44, 

Table 28).

During 2014–2015, the increase in reported congenital 

syphilis cases was primarily attributable to an increase 

in the West. During this time period, the congenital 

syphilis rate increased 42.3% in the West, but decreased 

3.5% in the Midwest, 7.7% in the South, and 17.4% in 

the Northeast (Table 41). In 2015, the highest congenital 

syphilis rates were reported from the West (18.5 cases per 

100,000 live births), followed by the South (14.4 cases 

per 100,000 live births), Midwest (8.2 cases per 100,000 

live births), and the Northeast (3.8 cases per 100,000 live 

births). In addition, rates were highest among Blacks (35.2 

cases per 100,000 live births), followed by Hispanics (15.5 

cases per 100,000 live births), American Indians/Alaska 

Natives (10.3 cases per 100,000 live births), Asians/Pacific 

Islanders (5.9 cases per 100,000 live births), and Whites 

(4.4 cases per 100,000 live births) (Table 42).

Syphilis — All Stages (P&S, Early 

Latent, Late, Late Latent, and 

Congenital)

In 2015, total case counts and rates for reported syphilis 

were the highest recorded since 1994. The total number 

of cases of syphilis (P&S, early latent, late, late latent, 

and congenital) reported to CDC increased 17.7% during 

2014–2015 (from 63,453 cases to 74,702 cases) (Table 

1). The number of cases of early latent syphilis reported 

to CDC increased 24.3% (from 19,452 cases to 24,173 

cases), and the number of cases of late and late latent 

syphilis increased 11.2% (from 23,541 cases to 26,170 

cases) (Tables 1, 36, and 38).

Syphilis among Special 

Populations

More information about syphilis and congenital syphilis 

in racial/ethnic groups, women of reproductive age, 

adolescents, and MSM can be found in the Special 

Focus Profiles.

Syphilis Summary

The national rate of reported P&S syphilis cases reached 

an historic low in 2000 and 2001, but has increased 

almost every year since then. This increase was largely 

attributable to an increase among men, and in particular 

among MSM. However, during 2014–2015, rates increased 

among both men and women in every region of the 

country. Rates of reported congenital syphilis cases also 

increased during 2014–2015, although this increase was 

primarily attributable to an increase in the West.
34 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

MSM continued to account for the majority of reported 

P&S syphilis cases in 2015. Nationally, the highest rates 

of P&S syphilis in 2015 were observed among men aged 

25–29 years and 20–24 years, among men in the West and 

in the South, and among Black men.

1 Jarzebowski W, Caumes E, Dupin N, et al. Effect of early syphilis infection 

on plasma viral load and CD4 cell count in human immunodeficiency virusinfected men: results from the FHDH- ANRS CO4 cohort. Arch Intern Med 

2012; 172: 1237–1243.

2 Buchacz K, Patel P, Taylor M, et al. Syphilis increases HIV viral load 

and decreases CD4 cell counts in HIV-infected patients with new syphilis 

infections. AIDS 2004; 18:2075–2079.

3 Fleming DT, Wasserheit JN. From epidemiological synergy to public health 

policy and practice: the contribution of other sexually transmitted diseases to 

sexual transmission of HIV infection. Sex Trans Infect 1999; 75: 3–17.

4 Ingraham NR. The value of penicillin alone in the prevention and treatment of 

congenital syphilis. Acta Derm Venereol 1951; 31(Suppl 24): 60–88.

5 Peterman TA, Kahn RH, Ciesielski CA, et al. Misclassification of the stages of 

syphilis: implications for surveillance. Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32(3):144-9.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 35

Figure 30. Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Stage of Infection, United States, 1941–2015

NOTE: Data collection for syphilis began in 1941; however, syphilis became nationally notifiable in 1944. Refer to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance 

System (NNDSS) website for more information: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/syphilis/.

Figure 31. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Sex and Sexual Behavior, 

37 States*, 2011–2015

* 37 states were able to classify ≥70% of reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis as either MSM†, MSW†, or women for each year during 2011–2015. †

 MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.
36 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 32. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Sex and Male-to-Female 

Rate Ratios, United States, 1990–2015

Figure 33. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Region, United States, 

2006–2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 37

Figure 34. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by State, United States and 

Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of primary and secondary syphilis for the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 7.6 cases per 100,000 

population.

Figure 35. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by County, United States, 2015

* In 2015, 1,811 (57.7%) of 3,141 counties in the United States reported no cases of primary and secondary syphilis. Refer to the NCHHSTP Atlas for further countylevel rate information: https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/atlas/.
38 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 36. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, 

United States, 2015

Figure 37. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–44 

Years by Age Group, United States, 2006–2015
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 39

Figure 38. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–44 Years 

by Age Group, United States, 2006–2015

Figure 39. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, 

United States, 2011–2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 45 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats during 2011–2015 (see Section A1.5 in the 

Appendix).
40 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 40. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Distribution of Cases by Sex and Sexual Behavior, 2015

Figure 41. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Sex, Sexual Behavior, and 

HIV Status, 31 States*, 2015

* 31 states were able to classify ≥70% of reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis as MSW†, MSM†, or women and ≥70% of cases as HIV-positive or 

HIV-negative during 2015.

† MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Syphilis 41

Figure 42. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Reporting Source and Sex, 

United States, 2006–2015

Figure 43. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Percentage of Reported Cases* by Sex, Sexual Behavior, 

and Selected Reporting Sources, 2015

* Of all primary and secondary syphilis cases, 7.4% had a missing or unknown reporting source. Among all cases with a known reporting source, the reporting 

source categories presented represent 57.8% of cases; 42.2% were reported from sources other than those shown.

† HMO = health maintenance organization; MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have 

sex with women only.
42 National Profile: Syphilis STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 44. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases by Year of Birth and Rates of Primary and Secondary 

Syphilis Among Women, United States, 2006–2015

* CS = Congenital syphilis; P&S = Primary and secondary syphilis.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases 43

Chancroid

Chancroid is caused by infection with the bacterium 

Haemophilus ducreyi. Clinical manifestations include 

genital ulcers and inguinal lymphadenopathy or buboes.1

Reported cases of chancroid declined steadily between 

1987 and 2001 (Figure 45, Table 1). Since then, the 

number of reported cases has fluctuated somewhat, while 

still appearing to decline overall. In 2015, a total of 11 

cases of chancroid were reported in the United States. 

Seven states reported one or more cases of chancroid in 

2015 (Table 43).

Although the overall decline in reported chancroid 

cases most likely reflects a decline in the incidence 

of this disease, these data should be interpreted with 

caution because Haemophilus ducreyi is difficult to 

culture; as a result, this condition may be substantially 

underdiagnosed.2,3

Human Papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common 

sexually transmitted infection in the United States.4 Over 

40 distinct types can infect the genital tract;5 about 90% 

of infections are asymptomatic and resolve spontaneously 

within two years.6 However, persistent infection with some 

HPV types can cause cancer and genital warts. HPV types 

16 and 18 account for approximately 70% of cervical 

cancers worldwide,7,8 while HPV types 6 and 11 are 

responsible for approximately 90% of genital warts.9,10 

A quadrivalent HPV vaccine that protects against infection 

by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 has been licensed in the 

United States for use in females since June 2006,11 and in 

males since October 2009.12 In October 2009, a bivalent 

HPV vaccine that protects against infection by HPV 

types 16 and 18 was licensed for use in females.13 In 

December 2014, a 9-valent vaccine that protects against 

infection by the HPV types included in the quadrivalent 

vaccine, as well as five additional cancer causing types 

(HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58), was licensed for use 

in the United States.14 For females, all three vaccines have 

been recommended for routine use in those aged 11 or 

12 years, and through age 26 in those who have not been 

vaccinated previously.14 For males, the quadrivalent and 

9-valent vaccines have been recommended for routine use 

in those aged 11 or 12 years, and through age 21 in those 

who have not been vaccinated previously.14 Vaccination 

of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 

(collectively referred to as MSM) through age 26 is also 

recommended; other males aged 22–26 years may be 

vaccinated.14 Vaccination is also recommended through 

age 26 years for immunocompromised persons (including 

those infected with HIV) who have not been vaccinated 

previously.14 

HPV vaccine uptake in the United States remains lower 

than the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80% coverage.15 In 

2015, a national survey found that 63% of girls aged 13–17 

years had received at least 1 dose of the HPV vaccine, and 

42% had received all 3 doses in the series.16 HPV vaccine 

uptake is lower among boys; 50% aged 13–17 years 

received at least 1 dose, but only 28% received all 

3 doses.16

HPV infection is not a nationally reportable condition. 

Cervicovaginal prevalence of quadrivalent HPV vaccine 

types 6, 11, 16, and/or 18 was estimated using data for 

females aged 14-34 years from the National Health and 

Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; see Section 

A2.4 in the Appendix). Prevalence decreased significantly 

from the pre-vaccine era (2003–2006) to the early postvaccine era (2009–2012) in specimens from females aged 

14–19 and 20–24 years, the age groups most likely to 

benefit from HPV vaccination (Figure 46).17 Among those 

aged 25–34 years, vaccine-type HPV prevalence did not 

differ significantly between the two time periods, and 

no differences were observed in the prevalence of nonquadrivalent HPV vaccine types by time period for any 

age group. In a population-based study of female residents 

of four geographic catchment areas (Alameda County, 

California; New Haven County, Connecticut; Monroe 

County, New York; Washington and Multnomah Counties, 

Oregon), incidence of high-grade cervical intraepithelial 

neoplasia in 18–20 year olds, based on laboratory reports 

and medical record review, decreased during 2008–2012. 

However, cervical cancer screening, which was estimated 

using age-group-specific screening rates derived from 

a variety of data sources in three catchment areas, also 

declined in this age group during the same period.18 The 

larger observed decrease in cervical neoplasia, relative 

to the estimated decline in screening, suggests that HPV 

vaccination may be impacting the true burden of cervical 

neoplasia in young women. 

Data from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index 

(NDTI; see Section A2.5 in the Appendix) suggest that 

cases of genital warts, as measured by initial visits to 

physicians’ offices, may have increased during the late 

1990s through 2014 (Figure 47, Table 44). Although the 

number of visits appears to have decreased in 2012 and 

2013, visits in 2014 (465,000) slightly exceeded those in 

2011; more years of data are needed to better elucidate 

recent trends in initial genital wart visits from these 

data. The 2015 NDTI data were not obtained in time to 

Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
44 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD Surveillance 2015

include them in this report. NHANES data for 1999–2004 

indicated that 5.6% of sexually active adults aged 18–59 

years self-reported a history of a genital wart diagnosis.19

Prevalence of genital warts during 2003–2010 was 

examined using health-care claims records from a large 

United States cohort of individuals with employerprovided private health insurance (Figure 48).20 Prevalence 

among females aged 15–19 years was stable during 2003–

2007, but then significantly declined during 2007–2010. 

Among females aged 20–24 years, genital wart prevalence 

significantly increased during 2003–2007, then was stable 

during 2007–2010; although prevalence in this age group 

appeared to decrease during 2009–2010, more years of 

data are needed to interpret this observation. Prevalence 

in females aged 25–39 years significantly increased 

throughout the time period, but among those aged 25–29 

years a potential inflection in trend was observed in 

2009, for which additional years of data are needed to 

appropriately assess. Genital wart prevalence significantly 

increased in males of all age groups during 2003–2010, 

although for those aged 20–24 years a potential inflection 

in trend again was observed in 2009.

For data reported in Figure 49, enhanced behavioral and 

demographic information on patients who presented for 

care in 2015 in 7 jurisdictions of the STD Surveillance 

Network (SSuN) was used (See Section A2.2 in the 

Appendix). Only jurisdictions that contributed data for all 

of 2015 were included in the figure. Genital warts were 

identified by provider diagnosis or by documentation from 

the physical examination. MSM and men who have sex 

with women only (MSW) were defined by self-report or 

by sex of reported sex partners. The prevalence of genital 

warts in 2015 is presented separately for MSM, MSW, and 

women by SSuN jurisdiction in the figure. Among women, 

the median prevalence of genital warts was 0.9% (range 

0.7 to 2.2) across all sites, compared to 3.3% (range 1.9 to 

4.6) for MSM and 4.3% (range 1.7 to 8.1) for MSW.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

For information on pelvic inflammatory disease, see 

Special Focus Profiles, STDs in Women and Infants.

Herpes Simplex Virus 

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is among the most prevalent 

of sexually transmitted infections.4,21 Although most 

infections are subclinical,22 clinical manifestations are 

characterized by recurrent, painful genital and/or anal 

lesions.23 Most genital HSV infections in the United States 

are caused by HSV type 2 (HSV-2), while HSV type 1 

(HSV-1) infections are typically orolabial and acquired 

during childhood.22,24

HSV infection is not a nationally reportable condition. 

Data on initial visits to physicians’ offices for genital HSV 

infection are available from the NDTI; however the 2015 

NDTI data were not obtained in time to include them in 

this report (Figure 50, Table 44). Visits have generally 

increased over time; the maximum number of initial visits 

(371,000) occurred in 2006, while 299,000 visits took 

place in 2014.

Most persons with genital HSV infection have not received 

a diagnosis. The overall percentage of HSV-2 seropositive 

NHANES participants aged 14–49 years who reported 

never being told by a doctor or health care professional 

that they had genital herpes did not change significantly 

between 1988–1994 and 2007–2010, and remained high 

(90.7% and 87.4%, respectively).25 However, an overall 

increase in the number of physician visits for genital HSV 

infection over time, as suggested by the NDTI data, may 

indicate increased recognition of infection.

NHANES data on the gender- and race/ethnicity-specific 

seroprevalence of HSV-2 among those aged 14–49 years 

were compared across survey years 1988–1994, 1999–

2002, 2003–2006, and 2007–2010 (Figure 51). Overall, 

HSV-2 seroprevalence decreased between 1988–1994 and 

2007–2010, from 21.2% to 15.5%.25 Among non-Hispanic 

White females, HSV-2 seroprevalence significantly 

decreased from 19.5% in 1988–1994 to 15.3% in 2007–

2010; HSV-2 seroprevalence remained stable among 

non-Hispanic Black females, from 52.5% in 1988–1994 to 

49.9% in 2007–2010. Similar race/ethnicity differences 

were observed for males. These data, along with data from 

NHANES survey years 1976–1980,26 indicate that nonHispanic Blacks had higher overall seroprevalence than 

non-Hispanic Whites in each survey period.

NHANES data also show that among adolescents aged 

14–19 years HSV-1 seroprevalence has significantly 

decreased by almost 23%, from 39.0% in 1999–2004 

to 30.1% in 2005–2010, indicating declining orolabial 

infection in this age group.24 HSV-2 seroprevalence in 

this age group was much lower, less than 2% in both time 

periods.24 Other studies have found that genital HSV-1 

infections are increasing among young adults.27,28 This has 

been attributed, in part, to the decline in orolabial HSV1 infections, because those who lack HSV-1 antibodies 

at sexual debut are more susceptible to genital HSV-1 

infection;24,29 increasingly common oral sex behavior 

among adolescents and young adults also has been 

suggested as a contributing factor.24,30 The absence of HSV1 antibodies also increases the likelihood of developing 

symptomatic disease from newly-acquired (i.e., primary) 

genital HSV-2 infection.31 Young women may therefore 

be increasingly likely to first acquire HSV-1 infection 

genitally, or acquire a primary genital HSV-2 infection, 

during their child-bearing years,29,32 and first-episode 

primary HSV infection during pregnancy increases the risk 

of neonatal HSV transmission.29,33 
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases 45

For information on neonatal HSV infections, see Special 

Focus Profiles, STDs in Women and Infants.

Trichomonas vaginalis 

Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted 

protozoal infection associated with adverse health 

outcomes such as preterm birth and symptomatic 

vaginitis.4,34,35 It is not a nationally reportable condition, 

and trend data are limited to estimates of initial physician 

office visits from the NDTI (Figure 52, Table 44). Visits 

appear to be fairly stable since the 1990’s; the number of 

initial visits for Trichomonas vaginalis infection in 2014 

was 155,000. The 2015 NDTI data were not obtained in 

time to include them in this report. NHANES data from 

2001–2004 indicated an overall Trichomonas vaginalis

infection prevalence of 3.1%, with the highest prevalence 

of 13.3% observed among non-Hispanic Blacks.35

1 Lewis DA. Chancroid: clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management. 

Sex Transm Infect 2003;79:68–71.

2 Schulte JM, Martich FA, Schmid GP. Chancroid in the United States, 

1981–1990: evidence for underreporting of cases. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly 

Rep 1992;41(SS-3):57–61.

3 Mertz KJ, Trees D, Levine WC, et al. Etiology of genital ulcers and 

prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in 10 US cities. J 

Infect Dis 1998;178(6):1795–8.

4 Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted infections 

among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex 

Transm Dis 2013;40(3):187–93.

5 de Villiers E-M, Fauquet C, Broker TR, et al. Classification of 

papillomaviruses. Virol 2004;324:17–27.

6 Ho GYF, Bierman R, Beardsley L, et al. Natural history of cervicovaginal 

papillomavirus infection in young women. N Engl J Med 1998;338(7);423–8.

7 Clifford GM, Smith JS, Plummer M, et al. Human papillomavirus types 

in invasive cervical cancer worldwide: a meta-analysis. Br J Cancer 

2003;88(1):63–73.

8 Bosch FX, Manos MM, Munoz N, et al. Prevalence of human papillomavirus 

in cervical cancer: a worldwide perspective. J Natl Cancer Inst 

1995;87(11):796–802.

9 Garland SM, Steben M, Sings HL, et al. Natural history of genital warts: 

analysis of the placebo arm of 2 randomized phase III trials of a quadrivalent 

human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine. J Infect Dis 

2009;199(6):805–14.

10 Gissmann L, Wolnik L, Ikenberg H, et al. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 

11 DNA sequences in genital and laryngeal papillomas and in some cervical 

cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1983;80(2):560–3.

11 Markowitz LE, Dunne EF, Saraiya M, et al. Quadrivalent human 

papillomavirus vaccine. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee 

on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 

2007;56(RR02):1–24.

12 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FDA licensure of quadrivalent 

human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4, Gardasil) for use in males and 

guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). 

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2010;59(20):630–2.

13 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FDA licensure of bivalent 

human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV2, Cervarix) for use in females and 

updated HPV vaccination recommendations from the Advisory Committeee 

on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 

2010;59(20):626–9.

14 Petrosky E, Bocchini JA, Hariri S, et al. Use of 9-valent human 

papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: updated HPV vaccination recommendations of 

the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal 

Wkly Rep 2015;64(11):300–4.

15 HealthyPeople.gov. Healthy People 2020 Topics & Objectives. Immunization 

and Infectious Diseases. Objectives IID-11.4 and IID-11.5. https://www.

healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/immunization-and-infectiousdiseases/objectives Accessed July 20, 2016.

16 Reagan-Steiner S, Yankey D, Jeyarajah J, et al. National, regional, state, and 

selected local area vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13–17 years 

— United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016; 65(33):850-8.

17 Markowitz LE, Gui L, Hariri S, et al. Prevalence of HPV after 

introduction of the vaccination program in the United States. Pediatrics 

2016;137(3):e20151968.

18 Hariri S, Johnson ML, Bennett NM, et al. Population-based trends in highgrade cervical lesions in the early human papillomavirus vaccine era in the 

United States. Cancer 2015;121:2775–81.

19 Dinh T-H, Sternberg M, Dunne EF, et al. Genital warts among 18- to 59-yearolds in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 

1999–2004. Sex Transm Dis 2008;35(4):357–60.

20 Flagg EW, Schwartz R, Weinstock H. Prevalence of anogenital warts 

among participants in private health plans in the United States, 2003–2010: 

potential impact of human papillomavirus vaccination. Am J Public Health 

2013;103(8):1428–35.

21 Smith JS, Robinson NJ. Age-specific prevalence of infection with herpes 

simplex virus types 2 and 1: a global review. J Infect Dis 2002;186(Suppl 

1):S3–28.

22 Corey L, Wald A. Genital herpes. In: Holmes KK, Sparling FP, Stamm WE, et 

al., eds. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 

2008:399–437.

23 Kimberlin DW, Rouse DJ. Genital herpes. N Engl J Med 2004;350(19):

1970–7.

24 Bradley H, Markowitz LE, Gibson T, et al. Seroprevalence of herpes 

simplex virus types 1 and 2 — United States, 1999–2010. J Infect Dis 

2014;209(3):325–33.

25 Fanfair RN, Zaidi A, Taylor LD, et al. Trends in seroprevalence of herpes 

simplex virus type 2 among non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites 

aged 14 to 49 years — United States, 1988 to 2010. Sex Transm Dis 

2013;40(11):860–4.

26 Xu F, Sternberg MR, Kottiri BJ, et al. Trends in herpes simplex virus type 1 

and type 2 seroprevalence in the United States. JAMA 2006;296(8):964–73.

27 Bernstein DI, Bellamy AR, Hook EW III, et. al., Epidemiology, clinical 

presentation, and antibody response to primary infection with herpes simplex 

virus type 1 and type 2 in young women. Clin Infect Dis 2013;56:344–51. 

28 Roberts CM, Pfister JR, Spear SJ. Increasing proportion of herpes simplex 

virus type 1 as a cause of genital herpes infection in college students. Sex 

Transm Dis 2003;30(10):797–800. 

29 Kimberlin DW. The scarlet H. J Infect Dis 2014;209(3):315–7.

30 Copen CE, Chandra A, Martinez G. Prevalence and timing of oral sex with 

opposite-sex partners among females and males aged 15–24 years: United 

States, 2007–2010. National Health Statistics Reports; no. 56. Hyattsville, 

MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2012.

31 Langenberg AGM, Corey L, Ashley RL, et al. A prospective study of new 

infections with herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2. N Engl J Med 

1999;341:1432–8.

32 Sampath A, Maduro G, Schillinger JA. Infant deaths due to herpes 

simplex virus, congenital syphilis, and HIV in New York City. Pediatrics 

2016;137(4):e20152387.

33 Brown ZA, Wald A, Morrow RA, et al. Effect of serologic status and cesarean 

delivery on transmission rates of herpes simplex virus from mother to infant. 

JAMA 2003;289(2):203–9.
46 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD Surveillance 2015

34 French JI, McGregor JA, Parker R. Readily treatable reproductive tract 

infections and preterm birth among black women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 

2006;194:1717–27.

35 Sutton M, Sternberg M, Koumans EH, et al. The prevalence of Trichomonas 

vaginalis infection among reproductive-age women in the United States, 

2001–2004. Clin Infect Dis 2007;45(10):1319–26.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases 47

Figure 45. Chancroid — Reported Cases by Year, United States, 1941–2015

NOTE: Data collection for chancroid began in 1941; however, chancroid became nationally notifiable in 1944. Refer to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance 

System (NNDSS) website for more information: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/chancroid/.

Figure 46. Human Papillomavirus — Cervicovaginal Prevalence of Types 6, 11, 16 and 18 Among 

Women Aged 14–34 Years by Age Group and Time Period, National Health and Nutrition 

Examination Survey, 2003–2006 and 2009–2012

NOTE: Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval. 

SOURCE: Markowitz LE, Liu G, Hariri S, et al. Prevalence of HPV after introduction of the vaccination program in the United States. Pediatrics 2016;137(3):e20151968.
48 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 47. Genital Warts — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, United States, 1966–2014

NOTE: The relative standard errors for genital warts estimates of more than 100,000 range from 18% to 23%. See Section A2.5 in the Appendix and Table 44.

SOURCE: National Disease and Therapeutic Index, IMS Health, Integrated Promotional ServicesTM. IMS Health Report, 1966–2014. The 2015 data were not obtained 

in time to include them in this report.

Figure 48. Genital Warts — Prevalence per 1000 Person-Years Among Participants in Private Health 

Plans Aged 10–39 Years by Sex, Age Group, and Year, 2003–2010

SOURCE: Flagg EW, Schwartz R, Weinstock H. Prevalence of anogenital warts among participants in private health plans in the United States, 2003–2010: potential 

impact of human papillomavirus vaccination. Am J Public Health 2013;103(8):1428–35.
STD Surveillance 2015 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases 49

Figure 49. Genital Warts — Prevalence Among STD Clinic Patients by Sex, Sex of Partners, and 

Jurisdiction*, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* Includes SSuN jurisdictions that contributed data for all of 2015.

†

 MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only. 

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods.

Figure 50. Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, 

United States, 1966–2014

NOTE: The relative standard errors for genital HSV infection estimates of more than 100,000 range from 18% to 23%. See Section A2.5 in the Appendix and 

Table 44.

SOURCE: National Disease and Therapeutic Index, IMS Health, Integrated Promotional ServicesTM. IMS Health Report, 1966–2014. The 2015 data were not obtained 

in time to include them in this report.
50 National Profile: Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD Surveillance 2015

Figure 51. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 2 — Seroprevalence Among Non-Hispanic Whites and 

Non-Hispanic Blacks by Sex and Age Group, National Health and Nutrition Examination 

Survey, 1988–1994, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, and 2007–2010

NOTE: Error bars indicate 95% confidence interval.

SOURCE: Fanfair RN, Zaidi A, Taylor LD, et al. Trends in seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 among non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites aged 

14 to 49 years — United States, 1988 to 2010. Sex Transm Dis 2013;40(11):860–4.

Figure 52. Trichomonas vaginalis and Other Vaginal Infections Among Women — Initial Visits to 

Physicians’ Offices, United States, 1966–2014

NOTE: The relative standard errors for Trichomonas vaginalis infection estimates range from 16% to 21% and for other vaginal infection estimates range from 

8% to 13%. See Section A2.5 in the Appendix and Table 44.

SOURCE: National Disease and Therapeutic Index, IMS Health, Integrated Promotional ServicesTM, IMS Health Report, 1966–2014. The 2015 data were not obtained 

in time to include them in this report.
STD Surveillance 2015 51 SPECIAL FOCUS PROFILES
52 SPECIAL FOCUS PROFILES

STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles 53

The Special Focus Profiles highlight trends and distribution of STDs in populations of particular interest to STD and HIV

prevention programs in state and local health departments: women and infants, adolescents and young adults, racial and 

ethnic minority groups, and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM). These 

populations are most vulnerable to STDs and their consequences and often lack adequate access to healthcare services. In 

2014, in the U.S., age was strongly associated with having health insurance. Older adults (65 years and older) and children 

(19 years and under) were most likely to have health insurance. Working-age adults (19 years to 64 years) had higher 

uninsured rates. The rates of non-insured for non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics were: 7.6%, 

11.8%, and 19.9%, respectively.1 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to increase access to sexual 

and reproductive health services through reforms based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations that 

include: chlamydia and gonorrhea screening (for sexually active women under 25 years and all women at increased risk), 

HIV screening (everyone 15–65 years old, pregnant, and higher risk), STD counseling (for all sexually active adolescents 

and higher-risk adults), and syphilis screening (for pregnant women and adults at higher risk).2 However, although health 

insurance coverage has been expanded for most groups, including both men and women, and for most race and ethnic 

groups, evidence suggests that disparities in health insurance coverage and access to STD services remain.3,4

Special Focus Profiles

1 Smith, J and Medalia, C. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-250, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2014, U.S. Government 

Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2015.

2 Oglesby, WH. Perceptions of and preferences for federally-funded family planning clinics. Reproductive Health 2014; 11(50)1-9. http://www.reproductive-healthjournal.com/content/11/1/50

3 O’Hara, B and Brault, MW. The disparate impact of the ACA-dependent expansion across population subgroups. Health Serv Res. 2013 Oct;48(5):1581-92.

4 Drainoni, M, Sullivan, M, Sequeira, et al. Health reform and shifts in funding for sexually transmitted infection services. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 41(7), July 

2014, p 455–460.
54 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants STD Surveillance 2015

Public Health Impact

Women and infants are at significant risk for long-term 

consequences of STDs. A woman’s relationship status 

with her male partner, such as the concurrency of the 

relationship, has been identified as an important predictor 

of her sexual health.1-3 In addition to social factors such 

as poverty and lack of access to quality STD services, 

homelessness or unstable housing may increase a woman’s 

risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted infection.4 For 

some women maintaining the relationship with her partner 

may take a higher priority than STD risk reduction5, 

thereby affecting her sexual and reproductive health, as 

well as the health of her unborn baby.6, 7

Because it may be her male partner’s risk, rather than 

the woman’s that increases a woman’s risk for STDs, 

even a woman who has only one partner may be obliged 

to practice safer sex, such as using condoms.8 A number 

of studies have found significant associations between 

condom use and socio-demographic characteristics, 

including age, income, education, and acculturation.9

Women infected with Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria 

gonorrhoeae can develop pelvic inflammatory disease 

(PID), which, in turn, can lead to reproductive morbidity 

such as ectopic pregnancy and tubal factor infertility. 

An estimated 10–20% of women with chlamydial and 

gonococcal infections may develop PID if they do not 

receive adequate treatment.10, 11 Among women with 

PID, tubal scarring can cause infertility in 8% of women, 

ectopic pregnancy in 9%, and chronic pelvic pain in 18%.12

The majority of chlamydial and gonococcal infections 

in women are asymptomatic, and hence are detected 

primarily through screening. Because the symptoms 

associated with PID can be nonspecific, up to 85% of 

women with PID delay seeking medical care, thereby 

increasing the risk for infertility and ectopic pregnancy.13

Data from two randomized controlled trials of chlamydia 

screening suggest that such screening programs reduce 

PID incidence.14, 15

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are highly 

prevalent in the United States, especially among young 

sexually active adults. Although most HPV infections in 

women are cleared within several years, high-risk HPVtype infections can be accompanied by abnormal changes 

in the uterine cervical epithelium, which are detected by 

cytological examination of Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. 

Persistent high-risk HPV-type infections may lead to 

cervical cancer precursors, which if undetected can result 

in cancer. Other low-risk HPV types cause genital warts, 

low-grade Pap smear abnormalities, and, rarely, recurrent 

respiratory papillomatosis in infants born to infected 

mothers.16 For more information on adolescent and adult 

HPV infections, see Other STDs.

Impact on Maternal and Fetal 

Outcomes

As with non-pregnant women, a high proportion of 

pregnant women with chlamydial and gonococcal 

infections are asymptomatic. Documented sequelae 

of untreated infections in pregnancy include stillbirth, 

premature delivery, premature rupture of the membranes, 

and low birth weight. Maternal infection can also affect 

the neonate, leading to neonatal ophthalmia, and, in the 

case of C. trachomatis, neonatal pneumonia. Although 

topical prophylaxis of infants at delivery is effective 

for prevention of gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum, 

prevention of neonatal pneumonia requires prenatal 

detection and treatment.

Genital infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV) are 

extremely common, can cause painful outbreaks, and 

can have serious consequences for pregnant women and 

their infants.17 Neonatal herpes can be a severe illness 

presenting with pulmonary disease, seizures, fever, and 

a high case fatality rate following contact with infected 

genital secretions during delivery. Risk of transmission to 

the infant is greatest when the mother has primary genital 

lesions during delivery, especially if she acquires infection 

towards the end of her pregnancy.18

Syphilis has long been known to be an important risk 

factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. The consequences 

of untreated maternal infection include fetal death, preterm 

birth, and also congenital infection in a proportion of 

surviving infants resulting in both physical and mental 

developmental disabilities. Most cases of congenital 

syphilis are easily preventable if women are screened for 

syphilis and treated early during prenatal care.19

Observations

Chlamydia

Chlamydial infections in women are usually asymptomatic 

and screening is necessary to identify most infections.20

Routine chlamydia screening of sexually-active young 

women has been recommended by the CDC since 1993.21

Rates of reported cases of chlamydia among women 

increased steadily from the early 1990s, likely reflecting 

expanded screening coverage and use of more sensitive 

STDs in Women and Infants
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants 55

diagnostic tests (Figure 1). During 2011–2013, rates 

decreased from 643.4 to 619.0 cases per 100,000 females 

and then increased a total of 4.3% over the next 2 years, 

resulting in a rate of 645.5 cases per 100,000 females in 

2015 (Table 4).

Chlamydia rates are highest among young women, the 

population targeted for screening (Figure 5, Table 10). 

During 2014–2015, rates of reported chlamydia cases 

increased 1.5% and 2.7% among females aged 15–19 and 

20–24 years, respectively. Regionally, chlamydia case rates 

were highest among women in the South, with a rate of 

720.2 cases per 100,000 females in 2015 (Table 4). Rates 

of reported chlamydia cases exceeded gonorrhea rates 

among women in all regions (Figures A and B, Tables 4 

and 15).

Gonorrhea

Like chlamydia, gonorrhea is often asymptomatic in 

women. Thus, gonorrhea screening is an important strategy 

for the identification of gonorrhea among women. Largescale screening programs for gonorrhea in women began 

in the 1970s. After an initial increase in cases detected 

through screening, rates of reported gonorrhea cases for 

both women and men declined steadily throughout the 

1980s and early 1990s, and then declined more gradually 

in the late 1990s and the 2000s. However, more recently, 

there have been increases in cases since 2009 (Figure 12).

After reaching a 40-year low in 2009 (104.5 cases per 

100,000 females), the rate of reported cases of gonorrhea 

for women increased slightly each year during 2009–2011, 

and then decreased each year during 2012–2014 (Figure 

13). In 2015, the gonorrhea rate among women increased 

6.8% to 107.2 cases per 100,000 females (Figure 13, 

Table 15).

The gonorrhea rate among women was slightly higher than 

the rate among men during 2006–2012; however, the rate 

among men was higher than the rate among women during 

2013–2015 (Figure 13, Tables 15 and 16). During 2011–

2015, gonorrhea rates were highest among young women 

and adolescents aged 15–24 years (Figure 17, Table 21). 

For women in this age group, rates were highest among 

19-year olds in 2015 (666.0 cases per 100,000 females) 

(Table 23).

Congenital Syphilis

Trends in congenital syphilis usually follow trends in 

primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among women, 

with a lag of 1–2 years (Figure 44). After plateauing at a 

relatively low rate (0.9 cases per 100,000 females) during 

2011–2013, the rate of reported P&S syphilis cases among 

women increased to 1.1 cases per 100,000 females in 

2014, and then increased 27.3%, to 1.4 cases per 100,000 

females during 2014–2015 (Figure 32, Table 28).

Similarly, the rate of reported congenital syphilis cases has 

increased each year since 2012 (Figure 44, Table 1). In 

2015, there were 487 reported cases of congenital syphilis 

and the national congenital syphilis rate was 12.4 cases 

per 100,000 live births. This increase in 2015 represents 

a 6.0% increase relative to 2014 and a 36.3% increase 

relative to 2011 (Table 41).

In 2015, the highest rates of P&S syphilis among women 

and the highest rates of congenital syphilis were observed 

in the South and in the West (Figures C and D, Tables 28 

and 41). The P&S syphilis rates among women increased 

in every region during 2014–2015. However, only the 

West experienced an increase in the congenital syphilis 

rate during this time period. During 2014–2015, the 

largest increases in the P&S syphilis rates among women 

were seen in the West (41.7%), followed by the Northeast 

(40.0%), South (20.0%), and Midwest (11.1%). The 

congenital syphilis rate increased 42.3% in the West and 

decreased 17.4% in the Northeast, 7.7% in the South, and 

3.5% in the Midwest (Table 44).

Although most cases of congenital syphilis occur among 

infants whose mothers have had some prenatal care, late or 

limited prenatal care has been associated with congenital 

syphilis. Failure of health care providers to adhere to 

maternal syphilis screening recommendations also 

contributes to the occurrence of congenital syphilis.19

Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus

Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, although 

relatively rare, cause significant morbidity and mortality.17 

Most neonatal HSV infections result from perinatal 

transmission from mother to neonate,22 but postnatal 

infection can occur.23 Although reporting of neonatal HSV 

infection is required in a few jurisdictions,24,25 it is not a 

nationally reportable disease. 

An examination of inpatient records of infants aged 60 

days or younger at admission using the Healthcare Cost 

and Utilization Project Kid’s Inpatient Database showed 

an overall incidence of 9.6 cases per 100,000 live births in 

2006.26 Rates did not vary significantly by region or race/

ethnicity; however prevalence was significantly higher 

among cases for which the expected primary payer was 

Medicaid (15.1 cases per 100,000) compared with private 

insurance or managed health care (5.4 cases per 100,000). 

In New York City, 76 cases of neonatal HSV infection 

were identified through population-based surveillance 

during a 4.5 year period (April 2006–September 2010), 

for an average annual incidence of 13.3 cases per 100,000 

live births.25 Forty-one percent of the confirmed cases were 
56 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants STD Surveillance 2015

infected with HSV type 1. A review of certificates of death 

or stillbirth issued in New York City during 1981–2013 

identified 34 deaths due to neonatal HSV infection, or 0.82 

deaths per 100,000 live births.27

For information on adolescent and adult HSV infections, 

see Other STDs.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Accurate estimates of PID and tubal factor infertility 

resulting from chlamydial and gonococcal infections are 

difficult to obtain, in part because definitive diagnoses of 

these conditions can be complex. Published data suggest 

overall declining U.S. rates of women diagnosed with PID 

in both hospital and ambulatory settings.28-30 The National 

Disease and Therapeutic Index (NDTI; see Section A2.5 

in the Appendix) provides estimates of initial visits to 

office-based, private physicians for PID. NDTI estimated 

that from 2005–2014 the number of initial visits to such 

physicians for PID among women aged 15–44 years have 

decreased by 71.0% from 176,000 to 51,000 visits (Figure 

E). The 2015 NDTI data were not obtained in time to 

include them in this report.

Differences in PID diagnoses or treatment by race/

ethnicity have been observed in earlier research.30 Data 

from the National Survey of Family Growth indicates that 

the overall proportion of sexually experienced women 

who have been treated for PID declined from 8.6% in 

1995 to 4.1% during 2011–2013 (Figure F).31 While this 

pattern was observed across all racial/ethnic groups, the 

proportion who had received PID treatment was higher in 

non-Hispanic Blacks than in Hispanics or non-Hispanic 

Whites. These disparities are consistent with the marked 

racial disparities observed for chlamydia and gonorrhea. 

However, because of the subjective methods by which PID 

is diagnosed, racial disparity data should be interpreted 

with caution.

Several factors may be contributing to declining PID 

rates, including increases in chlamydia and gonorrhea 

screening coverage, more sensitive diagnostic 

technologies, and availability of single-dose therapies 

that increase adherence to treatment.29-30,32 While PID is 

declining nationally, it still causes an enormous amount of 

unnecessary and expensive morbidity.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a potentially life-threatening 

condition that requires prompt evaluation and treatment. 

In 1992, CDC estimated the U.S. ectopic rate at 2% of all 

pregnancies.33 Since then, reliable estimates using national 

healthcare surveys has been challenging because medical 

and surgical treatment of EP is currently provided in both 

inpatient and outpatient settings. More recent attempts 

to estimate EP incidence use data from administrative 

databases of public and private insurance and managed 

care systems.34,35 Using data from a large administrative 

claims database of U.S. commercial health plans, trends 

in the rate of ectopic pregnancy among pregnancies in 

females aged 15–44 years during the period of 2003–2014 

have remained relatively stable across all 5 year age 

groups (Figure G). Rates of ectopic pregnancy increased 

with age, with the greatest rate concentrated in the 35–39 

and 40–44 year age groups.

1 Jolly DH, Mueller MP, Chen M, et al. Concurrency and Other Sexual Risk 

Behaviors Among Black Young Adults in a Southeastern City. AIDS Educ 

Prev. 2016 Feb;28(1):59-76.

2 Dolwick Grieb SM, Davey-Rothwell M, and Latkin CA. Concurrent sexual 

partnerships among Urban African American High Risk Women with Main 

Sex partners. AIDS Behav. 2012 Feb;16(2):323-33. doi: 10.1007/s10461-011-

9954-6.

3 Hogben M, Leichliter JS. Social determinants and sexually transmitted disease 

disparities. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35(12):S13 S18. 

4 Kelly J, Cohen J, Grimes B, et al. High Rates of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 

Infection in Homeless Women: Informing Public Health Strategies. J Womens 

Health (Larchmt). 2016 May 31.

5 Tschann JM, Flores E, de Groat CL, et al. Condom negotiation strategies 

and actual condom use among Latino youth. J Adolesc Health. 2010 

Sep;47(3):254-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.01.018. Epub 2010 Apr 10.

6 Pulerwitz J, Amaro H, De Jong W, et al. Relationship power, condom use and 

HIV risk among women in the USA. AIDS Care. 2002;14(6):789-800.

7 McCree DH, Rompalo A. Biological and behavioral risk factors associated 

with STDs/HIV in women: implications for behavioral interventions, In: 

Aral SO, Douglas JM,Lipshutz JA (editors). Behavioral Interventions for 

Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (p. 310-324). New 

York, NY: Springer.

8 O’Leary A. A woman’s risk for HIV from a primary partner: balancing risk 

and intimacy. Annu Rev Sex Res. 2000; 11:191-234.

9 Manderson L, Chang T, Tye LC, et al. Condom use in heterosexual sex: a 

review of research, 1985–1994. In: Catalan J, Sherr L, Hedge B (editors). The 

impact of AIDS: psychological and social aspects of HIV Infection. p. 1-26. 

The Netherlands: Harwood Academic Publishers.

10 Paavonen J, Westrom L, Eschenbach. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. In: 

Holmes KK, Sparling PF, Stamm WE, Piot P, Wasserheit JN, Corey L, Cohen, 

MS, Watts DH, (editors). Sex Transm Dis. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 

2008:1017-1050.

11 Hook EW III, Handsfield HH. Gonococcal infections in the adult. In: Holmes 

KK, Sparling PF, Stamm WE, Piot P, Wasserheit JN, Corey L, et al, (editors). 

Sex Transm Dis. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2008:627-45.

12 Westrom L, Joesoef R, Reynolds G, et al. Pelvic inflammatory disease and 

fertility: a cohort study of 1,844 women with laparoscopically verified 

disease and 657 control women with normal laparoscopy. Sex Transm Dis. 

1992;9:185-92.

13 Hillis SD, Joesoef R, Marchbanks PA, et al. Delayed care of pelvic 

inflammatory disease as a risk factor for impaired fertility. Am J Obstet 

Gynecol.1993;168:1503-9.

14 Scholes D, Stergachis A, Heidrich FE, et al. Prevention of pelvic 

inflammatory disease by screening for cervical chlamydial infection. N Engl J 

Med. 1996;34(21):1362-6.

15 Oakeschott, P, Kerry S, Aghaizu A, et al. Randomised controlled trial of 

screening for Chlamydia trachomatis to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease: 

the POPI (prevention of pelvic infection) trial. BMJ. 2010;340:c1642.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants 57

16 Markowitz LE, Dunne EF, Saraiya M, et al. Human papillomavirus 

vaccination. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization 

Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2014;63(RR05):1-30.

17 Kimberlin DW. Herpes simplex virus infections of the newborn. Semin 

Perinatol. 2007;31(1):19-25.

18 Mindel A, Taylor J, Tideman RL, et al. Neonatal herpes prevention: a minor 

public health problem in some communities. Sex Transm Infect 2000;76:

287–91.

19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congenital syphilis — United 

States, 2003–2008. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;59:413-17.

20 Farley TA, Cohen DA, Elkins W. Asymptomatic sexually transmitted diseases: 

the case for screening. Preventive Medicine. 2003;36:502-9.

21 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for the 

Prevention and Management of Chlamydia trachomatis Infections, 1993. 

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. August 6, 1993 / Vol. 42 / No. RR-12

22 Corey L, Wald A. Maternal and neonatal herpes simplex virus infections. N 

Engl J Med 2009;361(14):1376–85.

23 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Neonatal herpes simplex virus 

infection following Jewish ritual circumcisions that included direct orogenital 

suction — New York City, 2000–2011. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 

2012;61(22):405–9

24 Dinh T-H, Dunne EF, Markowitz LE, et al. Assessing neonatal herpes 

reporting in the United States, 2000–2005. Sex Transm Dis 2008;35(1):19–21.

25 Handel S, Klingler EJ, Washburn K, et al. Population-based surveillance for 

neonatal herpes in New York City, April 2006–September 2010. Sex Transm 

Dis 2011;38(8):705–11.

26 Flagg EW, Weinstock H. Incidence of neonatal herpes simplex virus infections 

in the United States, 2006. Pediatrics 2011;127(1):e1–8.

27 Sampath A, Maduro G, Schillinger JA. Infant deaths due to herpes 

simplex virus, congenital syphilis, and HIV in New York City. Pediatrics 

2016;137(4):e20152387.

28 Sutton MY, Sternberg M, Zaidi A, et al. Trends in pelvic inflammatory disease 

hospital discharges and ambulatory visits, United States, 1985–2001. Sex 

Transm Dis. 2005;32(12):778-84.

29 Bohm MK, Newman L, Satterwhite CL, et al. Pelvic inflammatory disease 

among privately insured women, United States, 2001–2005. Sex Transm Dis 

2010;37:131–136.

30 Whiteman MK, Kuklina E, Jamieson DJ, et al. Inpatient hospitalization 

for gynecologic disorders in the United States. Am J Obstet Gynecol 

2010;202:541 e1–6.

31 Leichliter JS. Chandra A. Aral SO. Correlates of self-reported pelvic 

inflammatory disease treatment in sexually experienced reproductiveaged women in the United States, 1995 and 2006-2010. Sex Transm Dis. 

2013;40(5):413-8.

32 Owusu-Edusei K Jr, Bohm MK, Chesson HW, et al. Chlamydia screening and 

pelvic inflammatory disease: Insights from exploratory time-series analyses. 

Am J Prev Med. 2010 Jun;38(6):652-7.

33 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ectopic pregnancy–United States, 

1990–1992. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995;44:46–8.

34 Zane SB, Kieke BA Jr, Kendrick JS, et al. Surveillance in a time of changing 

health care practices: estimating ectopic pregnancy incidence in the United 

States. Matern Child Health J 2002;6:227–36.

35 Hoover KW, Tao G, Kent CK. Trends in the diagnosis and treatment of 

ectopic pregnancy in the United States. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;3(115):49519
58 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants STD Surveillance 2015

Figure A. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, United States and 

Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of reported cases of chlamydia among women in the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 

640.8 cases per 100,000 females.

Figure B. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, United States and 

Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of reported cases of gonorrhea among women in the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 106.1 cases 

per 100,000 females.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants 59

Figure C. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women by State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of primary and secondary syphilis among women in the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 1.4 cases 

per 100,000 females.

Figure D. Congenital Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Infants by Year of Birth and State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: The total rate of congenital syphilis for infants by year of birth for the United States and outlying areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands) was 12.4 cases 

per 100,000 live births.
60 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants STD Surveillance 2015

Figure E. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices Among Women Aged 

15–44 Years, United States, 2006–2014

NOTE: The relative standard errors for these estimates are 16% to 23%. See section A2 in the Appendix for more information on other data sources and Table 45.

SOURCE: National Disease and Therapeutic Index, IMS Health, Integrated Promotional ServicesTM, IMS Health Report, 1966–2014. The 2015 data were not obtained 

in time to include them in this report.

Figure F. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — Lifetime Prevalence of Treatment Among Sexually 

Experienced Women Aged 15–44 Years by Race/Ethnicity and Time Period, National 

Survey of Family Growth, 1995, 2002, 2006–2010, 2011–2013

SOURCE: Leichliter, J, Chandra A, Aral SO. Correlates of Self-Reported Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Treatment in Sexually Experienced Reproductive-Aged Women 

in the United States, 1995, 2002, and 2006–2010. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40(5):413–418. Additional data for 2011–2013 provided separately.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Women and Infants 61

Figure G. Ectopic Pregnancy — Rates Among Commercially Insured Pregnant Women Aged 15–44 

Years by Age Group, 2003–2014

SOURCE: MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database, Truven Health Analytics, Ann Arbor, MI, 2003–2014.
62 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults STD Surveillance 2015

Public Health Impact

Incidence and prevalence estimates suggest that young 

people aged 15–24 years acquire half of all new STDs1

and that 1 in 4 sexually active adolescent females has an 

STD, such as chlamydia or human papillomavirus (HPV).2

Compared with older adults, sexually active adolescents 

aged 15–19 years and young adults aged 20–24 years 

are at higher risk of acquiring STDs for a combination 

of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. For some 

STDs, such as chlamydia, adolescent females may have 

increased susceptibility to infection because of increased 

cervical ectopy. Cervical ectopy refers to columnar cells, 

which are typically located within the cervical canal, 

being located on the outer surface of the cervix. Although 

this is a normal finding in adolescent and young women, 

these cells are more susceptible to infection. The higher 

prevalence of STDs among adolescents may also reflect 

multiple barriers to accessing quality STD prevention and 

management services, including inability to pay, lack of 

transportation, long waiting times, conflict between clinic 

hours and work and school schedules, embarrassment 

attached to seeking STD services, method of specimen 

collection, and concerns about confidentiality (e.g., 

Explanation of Benefits for services received mailed to 

parents or guardians).3

Traditionally, intervention efforts have targeted 

individual level factors associated with STD risk which 

do not address higher-level factors (e.g., peer norms and 

media influences) that may also influence behaviors.4

Interventions for at-risk adolescents and young adults 

that address underlying aspects of the social and cultural 

conditions affecting sexual risk-taking behaviors are 

needed, as are strategies designed to improve the 

underlying social conditions themselves.5,6 In addition, in 

designing STD programs, consideration should be given 

to the needs of adolescent and young adult populations 

including extended hours, optimizing privacy in waiting 

rooms, and urine based specimen collection.3

Observations

Chlamydia

In 2015, there were 981,359 reported cases of chlamydial 

infection among persons aged 15–24 years, representing 

64.3% of all reported chlamydia cases. Among those 

aged 15–19 years, the rate of reported cases of chlamydia 

increased 2.5% during 2014–2015 (1,811.9 to 1,857.8 

cases per 100,000 population) (Table 10). Among those 

aged 20–24 years, the rate increased 4.2% during 2014–

2015 (2,472.0 to 2,574.9 cases per 100,000 population) 

(Table 10). 

Among women aged 15–24 years, the population targeted 

for chlamydia screening, the overall rate of reported cases 

of chlamydia was 3,377.6 cases per 100,000 females. 

Among men aged 15–24 years, the overall rate of reported 

cases of chlamydia was 1,132.5 cases per 100,000 males. 

Rates varied by state for both males and females, with the 

majority of states having the highest reported case rates in 

the South (Figures H and I).

15–19 Year Old Females — In 2015, the rate of reported 

chlamydia cases among women aged 15–19 years was 

2,994.4 cases per 100,000 females, a 1.5% increase from 

the 2014 rate of 2949.3 cases per 100,000 females (Table 

10). Increases in rates of reported cases of chlamydia 

were largest among 17–, 18–, and 19–year old women 

(2.1%, 2.8%, and 2.2% increases, respectively) (Table 12). 

However, during 2011–2015, the rate for women in this 

age group decreased 14.1% (Table 10).

20–24 Year Old Females — In 2015, women aged 20–24 

years had the highest rate of reported chlamydia cases 

(3,730.3 cases per 100,000 females) compared with any 

other age group for either sex (Figure 5, Table 10). The 

overall rate of reported chlamydia cases among women 

in this age group increased 2.7% during 2014–2015 

(Table 10). However, increases in rates of reported cases 

of chlamydia were largest among 23– and 24–year old 

women (3.0% and 5.9% increases, respectively) (Table 

12). Similarly, during 2011–2015, the rate for women in 

this age group increased 2.8% (Table 10).

15–19 Year Old Males — In 2015, the rate of reported 

chlamydia cases among men aged 15–19 years was 767.6 

cases per 100,000 males. During 2014–2015, the rate 

of reported chlamydia cases for men in this age group 

increased 6.3% (Table 10). However, during 2011–2015, 

the rate for men aged 15–19 years decreased 6.0% 

(Table 10).

20–24 Year Old Males — In 2015, as in previous years, 

men aged 20–24 years had the highest rate of reported 

chlamydia cases among all men (1,467.8 cases per 100,000 

males). The rate for men in this age group increased 7.8% 

during 2014–2015 (Table 10). Similarly, during 2011–

2015, the rate for men aged 20–24 years increased 12.2% 

(Table 10).

STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults 63

Gonorrhea

During 2014–2015, the rate of reported gonorrhea cases 

increased 5.2% for persons aged 15–19 years and 7.2% for 

persons aged 20–24 years (Table 21). Among women aged 

15–24 years, the rate was 496.7 cases per 100,000 females. 

Rates varied by state, with the majority of states with the 

highest reported case rates in the South (Figure J). Among 

men aged 15–24 years, the overall rate was 398.2 cases per 

100,000 males. Rates varied by state, with the majority of 

states having the highest reported case rates in the South 

(Figure K). 

15–19 Year Old Females — In 2015, women aged 15–19 

years had the second highest rate of reported gonorrhea 

cases (442.2 cases per 100,000 females) compared with 

other women (Figure 17, Table 21). During 2014–2015, 

the rate of reported gonorrhea for women in this age group 

increased 2.4%. However, during 2011–2015, the rate for 

women in this age group decreased 22.1% (Table 21). 

20–24 Year Old Females — In 2015, women aged 20–24 

years had the highest rate of reported gonorrhea cases 

(546.9 cases per 100,000 females) compared with any 

other age group for either sex (Figure 17, Table 21). 

During 2014–2015, the rate of reported gonorrhea for 

women in this age group increased 3.0%. However, during 

2011–2015, the rate for women in this age group decreased 

4.0% (Table 21). 

15–19 Year Old Males — In 2015, the rate of reported 

gonorrhea cases among men aged 15–19 years was 244.8 

cases per 100,000 males (Figure 17, Table 21). During 

2014–2015, the rate of reported gonorrhea for men in this 

age group increased 10.1%. However, during 2011–2015, 

the rate for men in this age group decreased 3.1% (Table 

21). 

20–24 Year Old Males — In 2015, as in previous years, 

men aged 20–24 years had the highest rate of reported 

gonorrhea cases (539.1 cases per 100,000 males) compared 

with other men (Figure 17, Table 21). During 2014–2015, 

the rate of reported gonorrhea for men in this age group 

increased 11.6%. Similarly, during 2011–2015, the rate for 

men in this age group increased 22.9% (Table 21).

Primary and Secondary Syphilis

During 2014–2015, the rate of reported primary and 

secondary (P&S) syphilis cases increased 10.2% among 

persons aged 15–19 years and 14.9% among persons aged 

20–24 years (Table 34).

15–19 Year Old Females — The rate of reported P&S 

syphilis cases among women aged 15–19 years decreased 

each year during 2009–2013 (from 3.3 to 1.9 cases per 

100,000 females) (Figure 37, Table 34). However, the rate 

increased in 2014 and again in 2015. During 2014–2015, 

the rate increased 12.0%, from 2.5 to 2.8 cases per 100,000 

females (Figure 37, Table 34).

20–24 Year Old Females — In 2015, women aged 20–24 

years had the highest rate of P&S syphilis (5.1 cases per 

100,000 females) compared with other women (Figure 36, 

Table 34). The P&S syphilis rate among women in this age 

group has increased each year since 2011 (Figure 37, Table 

34). During 2014–2015, the rate increased 13.3%.

15–19 Year Old Males — In 2015, the rate of reported 

P&S syphilis among men aged 15–19 years was 8.0 cases 

per 100,000 males (Figure 36, Table 34). The P&S syphilis 

rate among men in this age group has increased each year 

since 2011 (Figure 38, Table 34). During 2014–2015, the 

rate increased 12.7%.

20–24 Year Old Males — In 2015, men aged 20–24 years 

had the second highest rate of reported P&S syphilis cases 

compared with any other age group for either sex (Figure 

36). The P&S syphilis rate among men in this age group 

has increased each year since 2006 (Figure 38, Table 34). 

During 2014–2015, the rate increased 15.5%, from 30.9 to 

35.7 cases per 100,000 males.

National Job Training Program

The National Job Training Program (NJTP) is an 

educational program for socioeconomically disadvantaged 

youth aged 16–24 years and is administered at more 

than 100 sites throughout the country. The NJTP screens 

participants for chlamydia and gonorrhea within two days 

of entry to the program. All of NJTP’s chlamydia screening 

tests and the majority of gonorrhea screening tests are 

conducted by a single national contract laboratory*. 

To increase the stability of the estimates, chlamydia or 

gonorrhea prevalence data are presented when valid test 

results for 100 or more students per year are available for 

the population subgroup and state. Additional information 

about NJTP can be found in Section A2.1 in the Appendix.

Among women entering the program in 43 states 

and Puerto Rico, the median state-specific chlamydia 

prevalence in 2015 was 12.7% (range: 5.4% to 20.5%) 

(Figure L). Among men entering the program in 48 states, 

the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the median 

state-specific chlamydia prevalence was 7.5% (range: 

2.6% to 12.3%) (Figure M).

Among women entering the program in 43 states 

and Puerto Rico, the median state-specific gonorrhea 

prevalence in 2015 was 1.9% (range: 0.0% to 6.8%) 

(Figure N). Among men entering the program in 39 states 

and Puerto Rico, the median state-specific gonorrhea 

prevalence was 0.7% (range: 0.0% to 2.9%) (Figure O).

* Laboratory tests are conducted by the Center for Disease Detection, LLC San 

Antonio, Texas.
64 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults STD Surveillance 2015

1 Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted infections 

among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex 

Trans Dis. 2013;40(3)187-93.

2 Forhan SE, Gottlieb SL, Sternberg MR, et al. Prevalence of sexually 

transmitted infections among female adolescents aged 14 to 19 in the United 

States. Pediatrics. 2009;124(6):1505-12.

3 Tilson EC, Sanchez V, Ford CL, et al. Barriers to asymptomatic screening and 

other STD services for adolescents and young adults: focus group discussions. 

BMC Public Health. 2004;4:21.

4 DiClemente RJ, Salazar LF, Crosby RA. A review of STD/HIV preventive 

interventions for adolescents: sustaining effects using an ecological approach. 

J Pediatr Psychol. 2007;32(8):888-906.

5 Sieving RE, Bernat DH, Resnick MD, et al. A clinic-based youth development 

program to reduce sexual risk behaviors among adolescent girls: prime time 

pilot study. Health Promot Pract. 2012;13(4):462-71.

6 Upchurch DM, Mason WM, Kusunoki Y, et al. Social and behavioral 

determinants of self-reported STD among adolescents. Perspect Sex Reprod 

Health. 2004;36(6):276-87.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults 65

Figure H. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–24 Years by State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: Rates for Guam and the Virgin Islands were calculated by using the 2010 population estimates (see Section A1.2 in the Appendix).

Figure I. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–24 Years by State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: Rates for Guam and the Virgin Islands were calculated by using the 2010 population estimates (see Section A1.2 in the Appendix).
66 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults STD Surveillance 2015

Figure J. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Women Aged 15–24 Years by State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: Rates for Guam and the Virgin Islands were calculated by using the 2010 population estimates (see Section A1.2 in the Appendix).

Figure K. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases Among Men Aged 15–24 Years by State, 

United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

NOTE: Rates for Guam and the Virgin Islands were calculated by using the 2010 population estimates (see Section A1.2 in the Appendix).
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults 67

Figure L. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Women Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job 

Training Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

* Fewer than 100 women who resided in these states/areas and entered the NJTP were screened for chlamydia in 2015.

NOTE: See Section A2.1 in the Appendix for more information regarding NJTP methods.

Figure M. Chlamydia — Prevalence Among Men Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

* Fewer than 100 men who resided in these states/areas and entered the NJTP were screened for chlamydia in 2015.

NOTE: See Section A2.1 in the Appendix for more information regarding NJTP methods.
68 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Adolescents and Young Adults STD Surveillance 2015

Figure N. Gonorrhea — Prevalence Among Women Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job 

Training Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

* Fewer than 100 women who resided in these states/areas and entered the NJTP were screened for gonorrhea in 2015.

NOTE: See Section A2.1 in the Appendix for more information regarding NJTP methods.

Figure O. Gonorrhea — Prevalence Among Men Aged 16–24 Years Entering the National Job Training 

Program (NJTP) by State of Residence, United States and Outlying Areas, 2015

* Fewer than 100 men who resided in these states/areas and entered the NJTP were screened for gonorrhea in 2015.

NOTE: See Section A2.1 in the Appendix for more information regarding NJTP methods.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities 69

Public Health Impact

Surveillance data show higher rates of reported STDs 

among some racial or ethnic minority groups when 

compared with rates among Whites.1,2 Race and 

Hispanic ethnicity in the United States are population 

characteristics that are correlated with other fundamental 

determinants of health status such as high rates of poverty, 

income inequality, unemployment and low educational 

attainment.3-5 Those who cannot afford basic necessities 

may have trouble accessing and affording quality sexual 

health services.6 The overall proportion of the U.S. 

population living in poverty in 2014, the most recent 

year for which poverty statistics are available, was 14.8% 

(or 46.7 million) and remained statistically unchanged 

from the previous year. Although the overall poverty 

rate is currently stable, many Americans continue to 

face challenges overcoming inequalities in economic 

opportunity. The poverty rate for Whites was 10.1% (19.7 

million), for Blacks it was 26.2% (or 10.8 million), and 

for Hispanics it was 23.6% (or 13.1 million).3 People 

who struggle financially are often experiencing life 

circumstances that potentially increase their risk 

for STDs.6

Access to quality STD prevention and treatment services 

is key to reducing STD disparities in the United States. In 

March 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 

Act (ACA) was signed into law significantly increasing 

the availability of insurance coverage for all Americans, 

particularly for young adults aged 19–26 years – an 

important demographic for STD prevention.7 Of the 

estimated 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted 

infections that occur each year, approximately half of the 

cases occur among people aged 15–24 years.8 Although 

the overall proportion of adults without health insurance 

decreased from 13.3% in 2013 to 10.4% (or 316 million) 

in 2014, many people in the U.S. may still not have access 

to health care.9 For example many of the states with the 

highest burden of STDs and disparities in STD incidence 

did not expand Medicaid coverage as the ACA allowed.10 

Among all races and ethnicities in the U.S., Hispanics had 

the lowest rate of health insurance coverage in 2014 at 

80.1%.9,12,14

Non-U.S. citizens (i.e., immigrants or undocumented 

persons) may face additional barriers in accessing care. 

In 2014, 31.2% (or 7 million) of non-U.S. citizens did not 

have health insurance coverage. Even when health care 

is available, fear and distrust of health care institutions 

can negatively affect the health care-seeking experience 

for many racial/ethnic minorities when there is social 

discrimination, provider bias, or the perception that these 

may exist.14 Moreover, the quality of care may differ 

substantially for minority patients.15 Inequities in social 

and economic conditions are reflected in the profound 

disparities observed in the incidence of STDs among some 

racial and ethnic minorities.

In communities where STD prevalence is higher because 

of these inequalities, individuals may have a more difficult 

time reducing their risk for infection. With each sexual 

encounter, they face a greater chance of encountering an 

infected partner than those in lower prevalence settings.2

Acknowledging inequities in STD rates by race or 

ethnicity is one of the first steps in empowering affected 

communities to organize and focus on this problem. 

STD Reporting Practices

Surveillance data are based on cases of STDs reported to 

state and local health departments (see Section A.1 in the 

Appendix). In many state and local health departments, 

electronic laboratory reporting is increasingly a primary 

source of initial case notification. The reports are often 

missing race and ethnicity of the patient; ascertainment 

of information on race and Hispanic ethnicity is therefore 

a function of active follow-up, or dependent on previous 

information available about the patient in existing health 

department surveillance databases. Prevalence data from 

population-based surveys, such as the National Health 

and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 

the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 

confirm the existence of marked STD disparities in some 

minority populations.16, 17

Method of Classifying Race & 

Hispanic Ethnicity

Interpretation of racial and ethnic disparities among 

persons with STDs is influenced by data collection 

methods and by the categories by which these data are 

displayed. Race/ethnicity data are presented in Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) race and ethnic 

categories, according to the 1997 revised OMB standards. 

However, the National Center for Health Statistics 

(NCHS) bridged-race categories are used where OMB 

categories are not available (i.e., congenital syphilis).18

As of 2015, fifty states and/or reporting jurisdictions now 

collect and report data in OMB-compliant formats for 

chlamydia and gonorrhea and 49 states and/or reporting 

jurisdictions report syphilis cases in OMB-compliant 

formats. Historical trend and rate data by race and 

Hispanic ethnicity displayed in figures and interpreted in 

this report for 2011–2015 include only those states and/

or reporting jurisdictions (45 jurisdictions for chlamydia, 

gonorrhea and syphilis) reporting in the current standard 

STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities
70 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities STD Surveillance 2015

consistently for all years from 2011 through 2015 (See 

Section A1.5 of the Appendix for additional information 

on reporting of race and Hispanic ethnicity).

Completeness of Race/Ethnicity 

Data in 2015

Chlamydia — 29.3% of chlamydia case reports were 

missing race or ethnicity data, ranging by jurisdiction from 

0.9% to 100% (Table A1).

Gonorrhea — 19.8% of gonorrhea case reports were 

missing information on race or ethnicity, ranging by 

jurisdiction from 0.0% to 100% (Table A1).

Syphilis — 4.4% of P&S syphilis case reports were 

missing information on race or ethnicity, ranging from 

0.0% to 100% among jurisdiction with 10 or more cases of 

P&S syphilis (Table A1).

Observations

Chlamydia

Among the 45 states that submitted data on race and 

ethnicity for each year during 2011–2015 according to 

the OMB standards, rates of reported chlamydia cases 

increased during that time frame among Asians (7.8%), 

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders (8.9%), Whites 

(14.6%), and Multirace persons (43.1%), and decreased 

among Blacks (11.2%) (Figure 6). Rates were stable 

among American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics 

during 2011–2015.

In 2015, 50 states submitted data on race and ethnicity 

according to the OMB standards. The following data 

pertain to those states:

Blacks — In 2015, the overall rate of reported chlamydia 

cases among Blacks in the United States was 1,097.6 

cases per 100,000 population (Table 11B). The rate 

among Black women was 5.4 times the rate among White 

women (1,384.8 and 256.7 cases per 100,000 females, 

respectively) (Figure P and Table 11B). The rate among 

Black men was 6.8 times the rate among White men (782.0 

and 115.4 cases per 100,000 males, respectively). Rates 

of reported cases of chlamydia were highest for Blacks 

aged 15–19 and 20–24 years in 2015 (Table 11B). The rate 

of reported chlamydia cases among Black women aged 

15–19 years was 6,340.3 cases per 100,000 females, which 

was 4.7 times the rate among White women in the same 

age group (1,339.1 cases per 100,000 females). The rate 

among Black women aged 20–24 years was 3.9 times the 

rate among White women in the same age group (6,782.5 

and 1,737.8 cases per 100,000 females, respectively) 

(Table 11B).

Similar racial disparities in reported chlamydia rates exist 

among men. Among males aged 15–19 years, the rate of 

reported chlamydia cases among Blacks was 8.8 times the 

rate among Whites (2,119.6 and 240.3 cases per 100,000 

males, respectively) (Table 11B). The rate among Black 

men aged 20–24 years was 4.9 times the rate among White 

men of the same age group (3128.8 and 637.2 cases per 

100,000 males, respectively).

American Indians/Alaska Natives — In 2015, the rate of 

reported chlamydia cases among American Indians/Alaska 

Natives was 709.1 cases per 100,000 population (Table 

11B). Overall, the rate of chlamydia among American 

Indians/Alaska Natives in the United States was 3.8 times 

the rate among Whites.

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders — In 2015, 

the rate of reported chlamydia cases among Native 

Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 622.1 cases per 

100,000 population (Table 11B). The overall rate among 

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders was 3.3 times the 

rate among Whites and 5.5 times the rate among Asians.

Hispanics — In 2015, the rate of reported chlamydia cases 

among Hispanics was 372.7 cases per 100,000 population, 

which is 2.0 times the rate among Whites (Table 11B).

Asians — In 2015, the rate of reported chlamydia cases 

among Asians was 114.1 cases per 100,000 population 

(Table 11B). The overall rate among Whites is 1.6 times 

the rate among Asians.

Gonorrhea

Among 45 states submitting race and ethnicity data 

consistently according to OMB standards for all years 

from 2011–2015, rates of reported gonorrhea cases 

increased 75.1% among Whites (26.1 to 45.7 cases per 

100,00 population), 71.3% among American Indians/

Alaska Natives (104.5 to 179.0 cases per 100,000 

population), 70.0% among Asians (14.0 to 23.8 cases per 

100,000 population), 61.0% among Native Hawaiians/

Other Pacific Islanders (72.6 to 116.9 cases per 100,000 

population), and 53.8% among Hispanics (52.4 to 80.6 

cases per 100,000 population) (Figure 20). The gonorrhea 

rate decreased 4.0% among Blacks (451.3 to 433.3 cases 

per 100,000 population). 

In 2015, 50 states submitted data on race and ethnicity 

according to the OMB standards. The following data 

pertain to those states:

Blacks — In 2015, 42.2% of reported gonorrhea cases 

with known race and ethnicity occurred among Blacks 

(excluding cases with missing information on race or 

ethnicity, and cases whose reported race or ethnicity was 

Other) (Table 22A). The rate of gonorrhea among Blacks 
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities 71

in 2015 was 424.9 cases per 100,000 population, which 

was 9.6 times the rate among Whites (44.2 cases per 

100,000 population) (Table 22B). Although the calculated 

rate ratio for 2015 differs when considering only the 

45 jurisdictions that submitted data in race and ethnic 

categories according to the OMB standards for each year 

during 2011–2015, this disparity has decreased slightly 

in recent years (Figure Q). In 2015, this disparity was 

similar for Black men (9.6 times the rate among White 

men) and Black women (9.7 times the rate among White 

women) (Figure R, Table 22B). As in previous years, the 

disparity in gonorrhea rates for Blacks in 2015 was larger 

in the Midwest and Northeast than in the West or the South 

(Figure S).

Considering all racial/ethnic and age categories, rates of 

gonorrhea were highest for Blacks aged 20–24, 15–19, and 

25–29 years in 2015 (Table 22B). Black women aged 20–

24 years had a gonorrhea rate of 1,760.5 cases per 100,000 

females, which was 9.0 times the rate among White 

women in the same age group (195.8 cases per 100,000 

females). Black women aged 15–19 years had a gonorrhea 

rate of 1,547.3 cases per 100,000 females, which was 11.3 

times the rate among White women in the same age group 

(136.4 cases per 100,000 females). Black men aged 20–24 

years had a gonorrhea rate of 1,681.5 cases per 100,000 

males, which was 9.5 times the rate among White men in 

the same age group (176.1 cases per 100,000 males). Black 

men aged 25–29 years had a gonorrhea rate of 1,415.0 

cases per 100,000 males, which was 8.2 times the rate 

among White men in the same age group (173.6 cases per 

100,000 males).

American Indians/Alaska Natives — In 2015, the 

gonorrhea rate among American Indians/Alaska Natives 

was 192.8 cases per 100,000 population, which was 4.4 

times the rate among Whites (Table 22B). The disparity 

between gonorrhea rates for American Indians/Alaska 

Natives and Whites was larger for American Indian/Alaska 

Native women (6.1 times the rate among White women) 

than for American Indian/Alaska Native men (3.0 times 

the rate among White men) (Figure R, Table 22B). The 

disparity in gonorrhea rates for American Indians/Alaska 

Natives in 2015 was larger in the Midwest than in the 

West, Northeast, and South (Figure S).

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders — In 2015, 

the gonorrhea rate among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific 

Islanders was 123.0 cases per 100,000 population, which 

was 2.8 times the rate among Whites (Table 22B). The 

disparity between gonorrhea rates for Native Hawaiians/

Other Pacific Islanders and Whites was the same for 

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women (2.8 times 

the rate among White women) and Native Hawaiian/Other 

Pacific Islander men (2.8 times the rate among White men) 

(Figure R, Table 22B). The disparity in gonorrhea rates 

for Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders in 2015 was 

lower in the West than in the Midwest, Northeast, and 

South (Figure S).

Hispanics — In 2015, the gonorrhea rate among Hispanics 

was 80.5 cases per 100,000 population, which was 1.8 

times the rate among Whites (Table 22B). This disparity 

was similar for Hispanic women (1.7 times the rate among 

White women) and Hispanic men (1.9 times the rate 

among White men) (Figure R, Table 22B). The disparity 

in gonorrhea rates for Hispanics in 2015 was higher in the 

Northeast than in the Midwest, South, and West (Figure S).

Asians — In 2015, the gonorrhea rate among Asians was 

22.9 cases per 100,000 population, which was 0.5 times 

the rate among Whites (Table 22B). This difference is 

larger for Asian women than for Asian men (Figure R, 

Table 22B). In 2015, rates among Asians were lower than 

rates among Whites in all four regions of the United States 

(Figure S).

Primary and Secondary Syphilis

During 2011–2015, 45 states submitted race and Hispanic 

ethnicity data for syphilis for each year according to the 

OMB standards. In these states, rates of reported primary 

and secondary (P&S) syphilis cases increased 130.8% 

among Asians (1.3 to 3.0 cases per 100,000 population), 

102.3% among Hispanics (4.4 to 8.9 cases per 100,000 

population), 90.3% among American Indians/Alaska 

Natives (3.1 to 5.9 cases per 100,000 population), 66.7% 

among Whites (2.4 to 4.0 cases per 100,000 population), 

51.4% among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders 

(7.0 to 10.6 cases per 100,000 population), and 31.8% 

among Blacks (15.7 to 20.7 cases per 100,000 population) 

(Figure 39).

In 2015, 49 states submitted syphilis data by race and 

ethnicity according to the OMB standards. The following 

data pertain to those states:

Blacks — In 2015, 37.6% of reported P&S syphilis 

cases with known race/ethnicity occurred among Blacks 

(excluding cases with missing information on race or 

ethnicity, and cases whose reported race or ethnicity was 

Other) (Table 35A). The P&S syphilis rate among Blacks 

in 2015 was 21.4 cases per 100,000 population, which was 

5.2 times the rate among Whites (4.1 cases per 100,000 

population) (Table 35B). The disparity was higher for 

Black women (8.8 times the rate among White women) 

than for Black men (5.1 times the rate among White men) 

(Figure T, Table 35B).

Considering all race/ethnicity, sex, and age categories, 

P&S syphilis rates were highest among Black men aged 

20–24 years and 25–29 years in 2015 (Table 35B). Black 

men aged 20–24 years had a P&S syphilis rate of 110.1 

cases per 100,000 males. This rate was 7.6 times the rate 
72 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities STD Surveillance 2015

among White men in the same age group (14.5 cases per 

100,000 males). Black men aged 25–29 years had a P&S 

syphilis rate of 133.2 cases per 100,000 males, which was 

6.9 times the rate among White men in the same age group 

(19.4 cases per 100,000 males).

Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders — In 2015, 

the P&S syphilis rate among Native Hawaiians/Other 

Pacific Islanders was 10.4 cases per 100,000 population, 

which was 2.5 times the rate among Whites (Table 35B). 

This disparity was similar for Native Hawaiian/Other 

Pacific Islander women (2.7 times the rate among White 

women) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander men 

(2.5 times the rate among White men). 

Hispanics — In 2015, the P&S syphilis rate among 

Hispanics was 9.1 cases per 100,000 population, which 

was 2.2 times the rate among Whites (Table 35B). This 

disparity was similar for Hispanic women (2.3 times the 

rate among White women) and Hispanic men (2.2 times 

the rate among White men).

American Indians/Alaska Natives — In 2015, the P&S 

syphilis rate among American Indians/Alaska Natives 

was 5.6 cases per 100,000 population, 1.4 times the rate 

among Whites (Table 35B). This disparity was larger for 

American Indian/Alaska Native women (3.5 times the rate 

among White women) than for American Indian/Alaska 

Native men (1.2 times the rate among White men).

Asians — In 2015, the P&S syphilis rate among Asians 

was 3.0 cases per 100,000 population, which was 0.7 times 

the rate among Whites (Table 35B). This difference was 

larger for Asian women (0.5 times the rate among White 

women) than for Asian men (0.8 times the rate among 

White men).

Congenital Syphilis

Race/ethnicity for cases of congenital syphilis is based on 

the mother’s race/ethnicity. During 2014–2015, rates of 

reported congenital syphilis cases increased 25.0% among 

Hispanics and 18.9% among Whites (Figure U, Table 42). 

However, rates decreased 19.5% among American Indians/

Alaska Natives, 15.7% among Asians/Pacific Islanders, 

and 8.8% among Blacks.

In 2015, 44.9% of congenital syphilis cases with known 

race/ethnicity occurred among Blacks (excluding cases 

with missing information on race or ethnicity, and cases 

whose reported race or ethnicity was ‘Other’) (Table 42). 

The rate of congenital syphilis among Blacks in 2015 was 

35.2 cases per 100,000 live births, which was 8.0 times the 

rate among Whites (4.4 cases per 100,000 live births). The 

rate of congenital syphilis was 15.5 cases per 100,000 live 

births among Hispanics (3.5 times the rate among Whites), 

10.3 cases per 100,000 live births among American 

Indians/Alaska Natives (2.3 times the rate among Whites), 

and 5.9 cases per 100,000 live births among Asians/Pacific 

Islanders (1.3 times the rate among Whites).

1 Newman LM, Berman SM. Epidemiology of STD Disparities in African 

American Communities. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35(12):S4- S12.

2 Hogben M, Leichliter JS. Social determinants and sexually transmitted disease 

disparities. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35(12 Suppl):S13-8.

3 DeNavas-Walt, Carmen and Bernadette D. Proctor, U.S. Census bureau, 

Current Population Reports, P60-252, Income and Poverty in the United 

States: 2014, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2015.

4 Harling G, Subramanian SV, Barnighausen T, et al. Socioeconomic disparities 

in sexually transmitted infections among young adults in the United States: 

Examining the interaction between Income and race/ethnicity. Sex Transm 

Dis. 2013;40(7):575-581.

5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Health Disparities and 

Inequalities Report - United States 2013 MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly. Rep. 

2013;62(Suppl 3).

6 Institute of Medicine. The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting Sexually 

Transmitted Diseases. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1997.

7 Sommers BD, Baicker K, Epstein AM. Mortality and Access to Care among 

Adults after State Medicaid Expansions. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:1025-1034 

September 13, 2012 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1202099

8 Satterwhite CL, Torrone E, Meites E, et al. Sexually transmitted infections 

among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008. Sex 

Transm Dis 2013;40(3):187–93.

9 Frerich EA, Garcia CM, Long SK, Lechner KE, Lust K, Eisenberg ME. 

Health care reform and young adults’ access to sexual health care: an 

exploration of potential confidentiality implications of the affordable 

care act. Am J Public Health. 2012 Oct;102(10):1818-21. doi: 10.2105/

AJPH.2012.300857. Epub 2012 Aug 16.

10 Smith, Jessica C and Carla Medalia, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population 

Reports, P60-253, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2014, U.S. 

Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2015.

11 Cramer R, Leichliter JS, Gift TL. Are safety net sexually transmitted 

disease clinical and preventive services still needed in a changing health 

care system? Sex Transm Dis. 2014 Oct;41(10):628-30. doi: 10.1097/

OLQ.0000000000000187.

12 Pérez-Escamilla R. Health care access among Latinos: Implications for social 

and health care reform. J Hispanic High Educ. 2010:9(1):43-60.

13 Garcia Mosqueira A, Hua LM, Sommers BD. Racial Differences in 

Awareness of the Affordable Care Act and Application Assistance Among 

Low-Income Adults in Three Southern States. Inquiry. 2015 Oct 8;52. pii: 

0046958015609607. doi: 10.1177/0046958015609607. Print

14 Berk ML, Schur CL. The effect of fear on access to care among 

undocumented Latino immigrants. J Immigr Health. 2001;3(3):151-156.

15 Institute of Medicine. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic 

Disparities in Health Care. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2002.

16 Datta SD, Sternberg M, Johnson RE, et al. Gonorrhea and chlamydia in the 

United States among persons 14 to 39 years of age, 1999 to 2002. Ann Intern 

Med. 2007;147(2):89-96.

17 Miller WC, Ford CA, Morris M, et al. Prevalence of chlamydial and 

gonococcal infections among young adults in the United States. JAMA. 

2004;291(18):2229-36.

18 Office of Management and Budget. Provisional guidance on the 

implementation of the 1997 standards for federal data on race and ethnicity. 

1999. [Accessed July 29, 2013]. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/

omb/fedreg_1997standards.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities 73

Figure P. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, United States, 2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015 (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix).

1:4

1:2

1:1

2:1

4:1

8:1

16:1

32:1

Year

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Rate Ratio† ‡

‡

AI/AN

Asians

Blacks

Hispanics

NHOPI

Figure Q. Gonorrhea — Rate Ratios* by Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2011–2015

* Rate ratios are calculated as the rate of reported gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population for a given racial or ethnic minority population divided by the rate of 

reported gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population for Whites. Any population with a lower rate of reported cases of gonorrhea than the White population will 

have a rate ratio of less than 1:1.

† Y-axis is log scale.

‡ AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 45 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2011–2015 (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix).
74 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities STD Surveillance 2015

Figure R. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, United States, 2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015 (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix).

Figure S. Gonorrhea — Rate Ratios* by Race/Ethnicity and Region, United States, 2015

* Rate ratios are calculated as the rate of reported gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population for a given racial or ethnic minority population divided by the rate of 

reported gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population for Whites. Any population with a lower rate of reported cases of gonorrhea than the White population will 

have a rate ratio of less than 1:1.

† Y-axis is log scale.

‡ AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015 (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix).
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities 75

Figure T. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, 

United States, 2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives; NHOPI = Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders.

NOTE: Includes 49 states reporting race/ethnicity data in Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015 (see Section A1.5 in the Appendix).

Figure U. Congenital Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases Among Infants, by Year of Birth and 

Mother’s Race/Ethnicity, United States, 2006–2015

* AI/AN = American Indians/Alaska Natives.

NOTE: National Center for Health Statistics bridged race categories are presented to allow the display of data across several years.
76 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men STD Surveillance 2015

Public Health Impact 

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 

(collectively referred to as MSM) are at increased risk 

for STDs, including antimicrobial resistant gonorrhea, 

when compared to women and exclusively heterosexual 

men.1–4 Because STDs, and the behaviors associated with 

acquiring them, increase the likelihood of acquiring and 

transmitting HIV infection, STD incidence among MSM 

may also be an indicator of higher risk for subsequent 

HIV infection.5, 6

Individual-level risk behaviors, such as number of lifetime 

sex partners, rate of partner exchange and frequency of 

unprotected sex, may contribute to disparities observed 

in the sexual health of MSM. However, population-level 

factors such as limited or overlapping social and sexual 

networks are also associated with higher rates of STDs, 

including HIV among MSM.7

MSM of lower economic status may be particularly 

vulnerable to poor health outcomes, especially if they 

belong to racial and ethnic minority populations.8, 9

Among Black MSM, factors such as community isolation 

and limited social support may drive sexual risktaking. Similarly, for Hispanic MSM, the relationship 

between individual experiences of oppression (e.g., 

social discrimination and financial hardship) and risk for 

sexually transmitted infections in the United States has 

also been documented.10

With the exception of reported syphilis cases, most 

nationally notifiable STD surveillance data do not include 

information on sexual behaviors; therefore, trends in 

STDs among MSM in the United States are based on 

findings from sentinel and enhanced surveillance systems. 

Testing strategies are also evolving to include more 

extragenital STD screening, which may increase detection 

of asymptomatic infections. Until recently, testing for 

gonorrhea and chlamydia in MSM largely focused on 

detecting urethral infections, which are more likely to be 

symptomatic than pharyngeal or rectal infections.11

Data from the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), a 

sentinel and enhanced surveillance project established 

in 2005, are presented in this section to provide 

supplemental information on STDs in MSM. SSuN is 

an ongoing collaboration of state, county and city health 

departments collecting enhanced provider and patientbased information among a random sample of reported 

gonorrhea cases, as well as clinical and behavioral 

information among all patients attending STD clinics in 

collaborating jurisdictions.12 Additional information about 

SSuN can be found in Section A2.2 of the Appendix.

Incidence of Gonorrhea among 

MSM, STD Surveillance Network, 

2010–2013

The proportion of all diagnosed and reported gonorrhea 

cases attributable to MSM was estimated based on patient 

interviews conducted among a random sample of cases 

reported to collaborating health departments between 

January 2010 and June 2013. Estimates of the size of 

the MSM population in each area were developed to 

calculate the incidence of gonorrhea among all MSM. The 

estimated incidence of gonorrhea among MSM in SSuN 

sites increased from 1,169.7 cases per 100,000 MSM 

in 2010 to 1,474.4 cases per 100,000 MSM in 2013.13

The estimated rate-ratio of MSM to female and MSM to 

heterosexual males during the study period ranged from 

10.7 to 13.9 demonstrating a substantial and increasing 

inequality in the burden of disease between MSM and 

heterosexuals.13

Prevalence of STDs among 

MSM Who Visit STD Clinics, STD 

Surveillance Network, 2015

Data for 2015 were obtained from 30 STD clinics in ten 

SSuN jurisdictions. For data reported in this section, 

MSM were defined as men who either reported having one 

or more male sex partners or who self-reported as gay/

homosexual or bisexual. Men who have sex with women 

(MSW) were defined as men who reported having sex 

with women only or who did not report the sex of their 

sex partner, but reported that they considered themselves 

straight/heterosexual. 

Gonorrhea and Chlamydial Infection

In 2015, the proportion of MSM who tested positive for 

gonorrhea and chlamydia at STD clinics varied by SSuN 

jurisdiction (Figure W). Among jurisdictions providing 

sexual behavior data, a larger proportion of MSM who 

visited STD clinics tested positive for gonorrhea than 

tested positive for chlamydia (except Massachusetts, 

Multnomah County, and Philadelphia).

Across the participating STD clinics, 26,878 MSM were 

tested for gonorrhea and 26,694 MSM were tested for 

chlamydia. The median site-specific gonorrhea prevalence 

among those tested was 19.0% (range by site: 10.9%–

22.7%). The median site-specific chlamydia prevalence 

among those tested was 16.0% (range by site: 11.8%–

17.6%). For this report, a person who tested positive 

for gonorrhea or chlamydia at any anatomic site more 

STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men 77

than one time in a year was counted only once for each 

infection.

Primary and Secondary Syphilis and 

HIV 

Among MSM who presented to participating STD clinics 

with primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis infection in 

2015, the proportion who were also infected with HIV 

ranged from 20.9% in Los Angeles to 58.6% in Baltimore 

(Figure X). P&S syphilis was identified by provider 

diagnosis and HIV was identified by laboratory report, 

self-report, or provider diagnosis.

HIV Status and STDs

Among MSM visiting SSuN STD clinics, the burden 

of STDs was higher among HIV-positive MSM than 

among HIV-negative MSM (Figure Y). Among HIVpositive MSM, 10.3% were diagnosed with P&S syphilis 

compared to 2.6% among HIV-negative MSM. Among 

HIV-positive MSM, urethral gonorrhea positivity was 

11.3%, pharyngeal gonorrhea positivity was 9.2%, and 

rectal gonorrhea positivity was 17.1% (compared to 6.8%, 

7.7%, and 7.3%, respectively, among HIV-negative MSM). 

Among HIV-positive MSM, urethral chlamydia positivity 

was 5.6% and rectal chlamydia positivity was 18.6% 

(compared to 6.4% and 8.1%, respectively, among HIVnegative MSM).

Nationally Notifiable Syphilis 

Surveillance Data

The number of reported cases of P&S syphilis among 

MSM has been increasing since at least 2000.3,14 Thirtyseven states were able to classify at least 70% of reported 

P&S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, or women each year 

during 2011–2015. Among these states, cases among MSM 

increased 12.8% during 2014–2015, and 56.1% during 

2011–2015 (Figure 31). Among all cases reported in 2015, 

MSM accounted for 81.7% of all male P&S syphilis cases 

with known information about sex of sex partners (Figure 

40). In 31 states able to classify at least 70.0% of reported 

P&S syphilis cases as MSM, MSW, or women and at least 

70.0% of reported cases as HIV-positive or HIV-negative, 

49.8% of MSM with P&S syphilis were also reported to 

be HIV-positive (Figure 41). Among MSM P&S cases, the 

proportion attributed to White MSM was 37.8% while the 

proportion of cases attributable to Black MSM was 33.0%, 

and 23.4% for Hispanic MSM, demonstrating a significant 

inequality in the burden of disease for non-White MSM. 

Moreover, non-Whites comprise a large plurality of 

cases reported among MSW and women as well (Figure 

V). More information about syphilis can be found in the 

Syphilis section of the National Profile. 

Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance 

Project

The Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) is a 

national sentinel surveillance system designed to monitor 

trends in antimicrobial susceptibilities of Neisseria 

gonorrhoeae strains in the United States.15 Overall, the 

proportion of isolates from MSM in selected STD clinics 

from GISP sentinel sites has increased steadily, from 

3.9% in 1989 to 38.1% in 2015 (Figure Z). The reason 

for this increase is unclear, but might reflect changes in 

the epidemiology of gonorrhea or in health care seeking 

behavior of men infected with gonorrhea. GISP has 

demonstrated that gonococcal isolates from MSM are more 

likely to exhibit antimicrobial resistance than isolates from 

MSW.4 During 2007–2015, the prevalence of elevated 

ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) 

(≥0.125 μg/ml) was higher in isolates from MSM than 

from MSW (Figure AA).

More information on GISP can be found in the Gonorrhea 

section of the National Profile.

1 Brewer TH, Schillinger J, Lewis FM, et al. Infectious syphilis among 

adolescent and young adult men: implications for human immunodeficiency 

virus transmission and public health interventions. Sex Transm Dis. 

2011;38(5):367-71. 

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in HIV/AIDS diagnoses 

among men who have sex with men — 33 States, 2000– 2006. MMWR Morb 

Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008; 57:681–686. 

3 Su JR, Beltrami JF, Zaidi AA, et al. Primary and secondary syphilis among 

black and Hispanic men who have sex with men: case report data from 27 

States. Ann Intern Med. 2011; 155(3):145-51. 

4 Kirkcaldy RD, Zaidi A, Hook EW 3rd, et al. Neisseria gonorrhoeae 

antimicrobial resistance among men who have sex with men and men who 

have sex exclusively with women: The Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance 

Project, 2005–2010. Ann Intern Med. 2013; 158(5 Pt 1):321–8. 

5 Fleming DT, Wasserheit JN. From epidemiologic synergy to public health 

policy and practice: the contribution of other sexually transmitted diseases to 

sexual transmission of HIV infection. Sex Transm Infect. 1999;75:3-17. 

6 Hall HI, Song R, Rhodes P et al, for the HIV Incidence Surveillance Group. 

Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA. 2008;6;300(5):520-

9. 

7 Koblin BA, Husnik MJ, Marla JB, et al. Risk factors for HIV infection among 

men who have sex with men. AIDS. 2006;20(5):731-739. 

8 Alvy LM, McKirnan DJ, Du Bois SN, et al. Health Care Disparities and 

Behavioral Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men. J Gay Lesbian Soc 

Serv. 2011;23(4): 507-522. 

9 McKirnan DJ, Du Bois SN, Alvy LM, et al. Health Care Access and Health 

Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Cost of Health 

Disparities. Health Educ Behav. 2013;40(1):32-41. 

10 Díaz RM, Ayala G, Bein E. Sexual risk as an outcome of social oppression: 

data from a probability sample of Latino gay men in three U.S. cities. Cultur 

Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. 2004;10(3):255-267. 

11 Patton ME, Kidd S, Llata E, et al. Extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia 

testing and infection among men who have sex with men--STD Surveillance 

Network, United States, 2010-2012. Clin Infect Dis. 2014;58(11):1564-70.
78 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men STD Surveillance 2015

12 Rietmeijer K, Donnelly J, Bernstein K, et al. Here comes the SSuN—

early experiences with the STD Surveillance Network. Pub Health Rep. 

2009;124(Suppl 2):72-77. 

13 Stenger MR, Bauer H, Torrone E, et al. Denominators matter: trends in 

Neisseria gonorrhoeae incidence among gay, bisexual and other men 

who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the US – findings from the STD 

Surveillance Network (SSuN) 2010–2013, Sex Transm Infect 2015;91(Suppl 

2) A178-A179 doi:10.1136/sextrans-2015-052270.464 

14 Heffelfinger JD, Swint EB, Berman SM, et al. Trends in primary and 

secondary syphilis among men who have sex with men in the United States. 

Am J Public Health. 2007 Jun;97(6):1076-83. 

15 Schwarcz S, Zenilman J, Schnell D, et al. National surveillance of 

antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. JAMA. 1990;264(11):

1413-7. 
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men 79

Figure V. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases* by Sex, Sexual Behavior, and Race/

Ethnicity, United States, 2015

* Of all reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis, 17.3% were among men without data on sex of sex partner, and <1% were cases with unknown sex; 5.0% 

of all cases had missing or unknown race/ethnicity.

†

 MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only. 

Figure W. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia — Proportion of MSM* Attending STD Clinics Testing Positive†

for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia by Jurisdiction, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM).

† Results based on data obtained from 26,878 patients tested for gonorrhea and 26,694 patients tested for chlamydia attending STD clinics in 2015 in all SSuN 

jurisdictions, excluding Minnesota.

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods.
80 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men STD Surveillance 2015

Figure X. Primary and Secondary Syphilis and HIV — Proportion of MSM* Attending STD Clinics†

with Primary and Secondary Syphilis Co-infected with HIV by Jurisdiction, STD 

Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM).

†

 Includes STD clinics that reported data on at least 25 patients with a diagnosis of primary and secondary syphilis in 2015. 

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods.

Figure Y. Proportion of MSM* Attending STD Clinics with Primary and Secondary Syphilis, 

Gonorrhea (GC) or Chlamydia (CT) by HIV Status†, STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), 2015

* MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM).

†

 Excludes all persons for whom there was no laboratory documentation or self-report of HIV status.

‡

 GC urethral and CT urethral include results from both urethral and urine specimens.

NOTE: See section A2.2 in the Appendix for SSuN methods.
STD Surveillance 2015 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men 81

Figure Z. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Urethral Isolates Obtained from MSM* Attending 

STD Clinics, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 1989–2015

* MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM).

Figure AA. Neisseria gonorrhoeae — Percentage of Urethral Isolates with Elevated Ceftriaxone 

Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) (≥0.125 μg/ml) by Reported Sex of Sex Partner, 

Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), 2006–2015

* MSM = Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM); MSW = Men who have sex with women only.
82 Special Focus Profiles: STDs in Men Who Have Sex With Men STD Surveillance 2015
STD Surveillance 2015 83 TABLES
84 STD Surveillance 2015 TABLES
STD Surveillance 2015 National Summary Tables 85

Table 1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases per 

100,000 Population, United States, 1941–2015

Syphilis

All Stages†

Primary and

Secondary

Early

Latent

Late and

Late Latent‡ Congenital Chlamydia Gonorrhea Chancroid

Year* Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate§ Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate

1941 485,560 368.2 68,231 51.7 109,018 82.6 202,984 153.9 17,600 651.1 NR — 193,468 146.7 3,384 2.5

1942 479,601 363.4 75,312 57.0 116,245 88.0 202,064 153.1 16,918 566.0 NR — 212,403 160.9 5,477 4.1

1943 575,593 447.0 82,204 63.8 149,390 116.0 251,958 195.7 16,164 520.7 NR — 275,070 213.6 8,354 6.4

1944 467,755 367.9 78,443 61.6 123,038 96.7 202,848 159.6 13,578 462.0 NR — 300,676 236.5 7,878 6.1

1945 359,114 282.3 77,007 60.5 101,719 79.9 142,187 111.8 12,339 431.7 NR — 287,181 225.8 5,515 4.3

1946 363,647 271.7 94,957 70.9 107,924 80.6 125,248 93.6 12,106 354.9 NR — 368,020 275.0 7,091 5.2

1947 355,592 252.3 93,545 66.4 104,124 73.9 122,089 86.6 12,200 319.6 NR — 380,666 270.0 9,515 6.7

1948 314,313 218.2 68,174 47.3 90,598 62.9 123,312 85.6 13,931 383.0 NR — 345,501 239.8 7,661 5.3

1949 256,463 175.3 41,942 28.7 75,045 51.3 116,397 79.5 13,952 382.4 NR — 317,950 217.3 6,707 4.6

1950 217,558 146.0 23,939 16.7 59,256 39.7 113,569 70.2 13,377 368.3 NR — 286,746 192.5 4,977 3.3

1951 174,924 116.1 14,485 9.6 43,316 28.7 98,311 65.2 11,094 290.4 NR — 254,470 168.9 4,233 2.8

1952 167,762 110.2 10,449 6.9 36,454 24.0 105,238 69.1 8,553 218.8 NR — 244,957 160.8 3,738 2.5

1953 148,573 95.9 8,637 5.6 28,295 18.3 98,870 63.8 7,675 193.9 NR — 238,340 153.9 3,338 2.2

1954 130,697 82.9 7,147 4.5 23,861 15.1 89,123 56.5 6,676 164.0 NR — 242,050 153.5 3,003 1.9

1955 122,392 76.2 6,454 4.0 20,054 12.5 86,526 53.8 5,354 130.7 NR — 236,197 147.0 2,649 1.7

1956 130,201 78.7 6,392 3.9 19,783 12.0 95,097 57.5 5,491 130.4 NR — 224,346 135.7 2,135 1.3

1957 123,758 73.5 6,576 3.9 17,796 10.6 91,309 54.2 5,288 123.0 NR — 214,496 127.4 1,637 1.0

1958 113,884 66.4 7,176 4.2 16,556 9.7 83,027 48.4 4,866 114.6 NR — 232,386 135.6 1,595 0.9

1959 120,824 69.2 9,799 5.6 17,025 9.8 86,740 49.7 5,130 119.7 NR — 240,254 137.6 1,537 0.9

1960 122,538 68.8 16,145 9.1 18,017 10.1 81,798 45.9 4,416 103.7 NR — 258,933 145.4 1,680 0.9

1961 124,658 68.8 19,851 11.0 19,486 10.8 79,304 43.8 4,163 97.5 NR — 264,158 145.8 1,438 0.8

1962 126,245 68.7 21,067 11.5 19,585 10.7 79,533 43.3 4,070 97.7 NR — 263,714 143.6 1,344 0.7

1963 124,137 66.5 22,251 11.9 18,235 9.8 78,076 41.8 4,031 98.4 NR — 278,289 149.0 1,220 0.7

1964 114,325 60.4 22,969 12.1 17,781 9.4 68,629 36.3 3,516 87.3 NR — 300,666 158.9 1,247 0.7

1965 112,842 58.9 23,338 12.2 17,458 9.1 67,317 35.1 3,564 94.8 NR — 324,925 169.5 982 0.5

1966 105,159 54.2 21,414 11.0 15,950 8.2 63,541 32.7 3,170 87.9 NR — 351,738 181.2 838 0.4

1967 102,581 52.2 21,053 10.7 15,554 7.9 61,975 31.5 2,894 82.2 NR — 404,836 205.9 784 0.4

1968 96,271 48.4 19,019 9.6 15,150 7.6 58,564 29.4 2,381 68.0 NR — 464,543 233.4 845 0.4

1969 92,162 45.7 19,130 9.5 15,402 7.6 54,587 27.1 2,074 57.6 NR — 534,872 265.4 1,104 0.5

1970 91,382 44.8 21,982 10.8 16,311 8.0 50,348 24.7 1,953 52.3 NR — 600,072 294.2 1,416 0.7

1971 95,997 46.4 23,783 11.5 19,417 9.4 49,993 24.2 2,052 57.7 NR — 670,268 324.1 1,320 0.6

1972 91,149 43.6 24,429 11.7 20,784 9.9 43,456 20.8 1,758 54.0 NR — 767,215 366.6 1,414 0.7

1973 87,469 41.4 24,825 11.7 23,584 11.2 37,054 17.5 1,527 48.7 NR — 842,621 398.7 1,165 0.6

1974 83,771 39.3 25,385 11.9 25,124 11.8 31,854 14.9 1,138 36.0 NR — 906,121 424.7 945 0.4

1975 80,356 37.3 25,561 11.9 26,569 12.3 27,096 12.6 916 29.1 NR — 999,937 464.1 700 0.3

1976 71,761 33.0 23,731 10.9 25,363 11.7 21,905 10.1 626 19.8 NR — 1,001,994 460.6 628 0.3

1977 64,621 29.4 20,399 9.3 21,329 9.7 22,313 10.2 463 13.9 NR — 1,002,219 456.0 455 0.2

1978 64,875 29.2 21,656 9.8 19,628 8.8 23,038 10.4 434 13.0 NR — 1,013,436 456.3 521 0.2

1979 67,049 29.9 24,874 11.1 20,459 9.1 21,301 9.5 332 9.5 NR — 1,004,058 447.1 840 0.4

1980 68,832 30.3 27,204 12.0 20,297 8.9 20,979 9.2 277 7.7 NR — 1,004,029 442.1 788 0.3

1981 72,799 31.7 31,266 13.6 21,033 9.2 20,168 8.8 287 7.9 NR — 990,864 431.8 850 0.4

1982 75,579 32.6 33,613 14.5 21,894 9.5 19,779 8.5 259 7.0 NR — 960,633 414.7 1,392 0.6

1983 74,637 31.9 32,698 14.0 23,738 10.2 17,896 7.7 239 6.6 NR — 900,435 385.1 847 0.4
86 National Summary Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases per 

100,000 Population, United States, 1941–2015 (continued)

Syphilis

All Stages†

Primary and

Secondary

Early

Latent

Late and

Late Latent‡ Congenital Chlamydia Gonorrhea Chancroid

Year* Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate§ Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate

1984 69,872 29.6 28,607 12.1 23,131 9.8 17,829 7.6 305 8.3 7,594 6.5 878,556 372.5 665 0.3

1985 67,563 28.4 27,131 11.4 21,689 9.1 18,414 7.7 329 8.7 25,848 17.4 911,419 383.0 2,067 0.9

1986 67,779 28.2 27,667 11.5 21,656 9.0 18,046 7.5 410 10.9 58,001 35.2 892,229 371.5 3,045 1.3

1987 87,286 36.0 35,585 14.7 28,233 11.7 22,988 9.5 480 12.6 91,913 50.8 787,532 325.0 4,986 2.1

1988 104,546 42.8 40,474 16.6 35,968 14.7 27,363 11.2 741 19.0 157,854 87.1 738,160 301.9 4,891 2.0

1989 115,089 46.6 45,826 18.6 45,394 18.4 22,032 8.9 1,837 45.5 200,904 102.5 733,294 297.1 4,697 1.9

1990 135,590 54.3 50,578 20.3 55,397 22.2 25,750 10.3 3,865 92.9 323,663 160.2 690,042 276.4 4,212 1.7

1991 128,719 50.9 42,950 17.0 53,855 21.3 27,490 10.9 4,424 107.6 381,228 179.7 621,918 245.8 3,476 1.4

1992 114,730 44.7 34,009 13.3 49,929 19.5 26,725 10.4 4,067 100.0 409,694 182.3 502,858 196.0 1,906 0.7

1993 102,612 39.5 26,527 10.2 41,919 16.1 30,746 11.8 3,420 85.5 405,332 178.0 444,649 171.1 1,292 0.5

1994 82,713 31.4 20,641 7.8 32,017 12.2 27,603 10.5 2,452 62.0 451,785 192.5 419,602 163.9 782 0.3

1995 69,359 26.0 16,543 6.2 26,657 10.0 24,296 9.1 1,863 47.8 478,577 187.8 392,651 147.5 607 0.2

1996 53,240 19.8 11,405 4.2 20,187 7.5 20,366 7.6 1,282 32.9 492,631 190.6 328,169 121.8 386 0.1

1997 46,716 17.1 8,556 3.1 16,631 6.1 20,447 7.5 1,082 27.9 537,904 205.5 327,665 120.2 246 0.1

1998 38,289 13.9 7,007 2.5 12,696 4.6 17,743 6.4 843 21.4 614,250 231.8 356,492 129.2 189 0.1

1999 35,386 12.7 6,617 2.4 11,534 4.1 16,655 6.0 580 14.6 662,647 247.2 360,813 129.3 110 0.0

2000 31,618 11.2 5,979 2.1 9,465 3.4 15,594 5.5 580 14.3 709,452 251.4 363,136 128.7 78 0.0

2001 32,286 11.3 6,103 2.1 8,701 3.0 16,976 5.9 506 12.6 783,242 274.5 361,705 126.8 38 0.0

2002 32,919 11.4 6,862 2.4 8,429 2.9 17,168 6.0 460 11.4 834,555 289.4 351,852 122.0 48 0.0

2003 34,289 11.8 7,177 2.5 8,361 2.9 18,319 6.3 432 10.6 877,478 301.7 335,104 115.2 54 0.0

2004 33,423 11.4 7,980 2.7 7,768 2.6 17,300 5.9 375 9.1 929,462 316.5 330,132 112.4 30 0.0

2005 33,288 11.2 8,724 2.9 8,176 2.8 16,049 5.4 339 8.2 976,445 329.4 339,593 114.6 17 0.0

2006 36,958 12.3 9,756 3.3 9,186 3.1 17,644 5.9 372 8.7 1,030,911 344.3 358,366 119.7 19 0.0

2007 40,925 13.6 11,466 3.8 10,768 3.6 18,256 6.1 435 10.1 1,108,374 367.5 355,991 118.0 23 0.0

2008 46,292 15.2 13,500 4.4 12,401 4.1 19,945 6.6 446 10.5 1,210,523 398.1 336,742 110.7 25 0.0

2009 44,832 14.6 13,997 4.6 13,066 4.3 17,338 5.6 431 10.4 1,244,180 405.3 301,174 98.1 28 0.0

2010 45,844 14.8 13,774 4.5 13,604 4.4 18,079 5.9 387 9.7 1,307,893 423.6 309,341 100.2 24 0.0

2011 46,040 14.8 13,970 4.5 13,136 4.2 18,576 6.0 358 9.1 1,412,791 453.4 321,849 103.3 8 0.0

2012 49,915 15.9 15,667 5.0 14,503 4.6 19,411 6.2 334 8.4 1,422,976 453.3 334,826 106.7 15 0.0

2013 56,484 17.9 17,375 5.5 16,929 5.4 21,819 6.9 361 9.2 1,401,906 443.5 333,004 105.3 10 0.0

2014 63,453 19.9 19,999 6.3 19,452 6.1 23,541 7.4 461 11.7 1,441,789 452.2 350,062 109.8 6 0.0

2015 74,702 23.4 23,872 7.5 24,173 7.6 26,170 8.2 487 12.4 1,526,658 478.8 395,216 123.9 11 0.0

* For 1941–1946, data were reported for the federal fiscal year ending June 30 of the year indicated. From 1947 to the present, data were reported for the calendar 

year ending December 31. For 1941–1958, data for Alaska and Hawaii were not included.

† Includes stage of syphilis not stated.

‡ Late and late latent syphilis includes late latent syphilis, latent syphilis of unknown duration, neurosyphilis, late syphilis with clinical manifestations other than 

neurosyphilis, and late syphilis with clinical manifestations (including late benign syphilis and cardiovascular syphilis).

§ Rates include all cases of congenitally acquired syphilis per 100,000 live births. As of 1995, cases of congenital syphilis are obtained in hardcopy and electronic 

format on the basis of case reporting form CDC 73.126.

NR = No report.

NOTE: Adjustments to the number of cases reported from state health departments were made for hardcopy forms and for electronic data submissions through 

June 8, 2016. The number of cases and the rates shown here supersede those published in previous reports. See Section A1.1 in the Appendix for more information. 

Cases and rates shown in this table exclude the outlying areas of Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Case definitions have changed over time. See Section C.1 in 

the Appendix for more information.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 87

Table 2. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked by Rates, 

United States, 2015

Rank* State Cases Rate per 100,000 Population

1 Alaska 5,660 768.3

2 Louisiana 32,325 695.2

3 North Carolina 64,376 647.4

4 New Mexico 12,632 605.7

5 Mississippi 17,371 580.2

6 Georgia 57,639 570.8

7 South Carolina 27,538 569.9

8 Arkansas 16,166 545.0

9 Alabama 26,359 543.6

10 Oklahoma 21,025 542.2

11 Illinois 69,610 540.4

12 New York 103,615 524.7

13 Texas 141,158 523.6

14 Hawaii 7,074 498.3

15 Delaware 4,605 492.2

16 Ohio 56,726 489.3

17 California 189,170 487.5

18 Arizona 32,387 481.1

U.S. TOTAL† 1,526,658 478.8

19 Tennessee 31,272 477.5

20 Missouri 28,948 477.4

21 Michigan 46,486 469.1

22 South Dakota 3,949 462.9

23 Maryland 27,450 459.3

24 Nevada 12,925 455.3

25 Florida 90,468 454.8

26 Colorado 23,857 445.4

27 Indiana 28,886 437.9

28 Rhode Island 4,575 433.6

29 North Dakota 3,159 427.2

30 Virginia 35,349 424.5

31 Wisconsin 24,381 423.5

32 Nebraska 7,956 422.9

33 Pennsylvania 53,460 418.1

34 Oregon 16,305 410.7

35 Montana 4,184 408.8

36 Washington 28,699 406.4

37 Kentucky 17,444 395.2

38 Kansas 11,464 394.8

39 Minnesota 21,243 389.3

40 Iowa 12,085 388.9

41 Connecticut 13,126 364.9

42 Massachusetts 24,100 357.3

43 New Jersey 31,337 350.6

44 Wyoming 2,037 348.7

45 Idaho 5,631 344.5

46 Vermont 1,901 303.4

47 Maine 3,965 298.1

48 Utah 8,633 293.3

49 West Virginia 4,958 268.0

50 New Hampshire 3,095 233.3

* States were ranked by rate, then by case count, then in alphabetical order, with rates shown rounded to the nearest tenth.

†

 Total includes cases reported by the District of Columbia with 7,894 cases and a rate of 1,198.1, but excludes outlying areas (Guam with 881 cases and rate of 

547.2, Puerto Rico with 5,295 cases and rate of 149.2, and Virgin Islands with 743 cases and rate of 713.3).
88 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 3. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in 

Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 29,626 30,621 29,464 29,010 26,359 616.9 635.0 609.6 598.2 543.6

Alaska 5,739 5,462 5,774 5,789 5,660 794.1 746.7 785.4 785.8 768.3

Arizona 29,251 30,444 30,564 32,397 32,387 451.2 464.6 461.2 481.3 481.1

Arkansas 16,052 16,611 15,447 15,605 16,166 546.4 563.3 522.0 526.1 545.0

California 166,773 167,695 167,346 176,308 189,170 442.5 440.8 436.6 454.4 487.5

Colorado 21,811 21,631 20,386 21,863 23,857 426.3 417.0 387.0 408.2 445.4

Connecticut 13,649 13,065 12,775 13,382 13,126 381.2 363.9 355.2 372.1 364.9

Delaware 4,508 4,438 5,213 4,473 4,605 496.9 483.9 563.1 478.1 492.2

District of Columbia 6,585 6,808 6,414 5,293 7,894 1,065.5 1,076.7 992.2 803.3 1,198.1

Florida 76,033 77,644 80,182 84,194 90,468 399.0 401.9 410.1 423.2 454.8

Georgia 54,403 52,418 51,070 51,945 57,639 554.3 528.4 511.1 514.4 570.8

Hawaii 6,001 6,340 6,640 6,419 7,074 436.5 455.4 472.9 452.2 498.3

Idaho 4,699 4,550 5,428 5,442 5,631 296.5 285.1 336.7 333.0 344.5

Illinois 64,939 67,701 63,797 66,536 69,610 504.6 525.8 495.2 516.6 540.4

Indiana 27,801 29,505 28,023 28,519 28,886 426.6 451.3 426.5 432.3 437.9

Iowa 10,705 11,377 10,953 11,804 12,085 349.6 370.1 354.4 379.9 388.9

Kansas 10,598 11,135 11,012 11,116 11,464 369.1 385.8 380.5 382.8 394.8

Kentucky 16,629 17,273 17,134 17,664 17,444 380.6 394.3 389.8 400.2 395.2

Louisiana 31,614 27,353 28,739 28,955 32,325 691.0 594.4 621.3 622.7 695.2

Maine 3,094 3,413 3,438 3,530 3,965 232.9 256.8 258.8 265.4 298.1

Maryland 27,212 26,534 26,723 27,424 27,450 466.9 450.9 450.7 458.9 459.3

Massachusetts 22,764 23,550 23,210 21,271 24,100 345.6 354.3 346.8 315.3 357.3

Michigan 49,568 47,566 44,835 44,256 46,486 501.9 481.3 453.1 446.6 469.1

Minnesota 16,902 18,056 18,742 19,907 21,243 316.2 335.7 345.8 364.8 389.3

Mississippi 21,216 23,054 17,464 19,605 17,371 712.3 772.3 583.8 654.8 580.2

Missouri 27,887 27,835 27,328 27,981 28,948 464.0 462.2 452.1 461.5 477.4

Montana 3,406 3,827 3,818 4,193 4,184 341.2 380.7 376.1 409.6 408.8

Nebraska 6,780 6,748 7,301 7,499 7,956 368.0 363.7 390.7 398.6 422.9

Nevada 10,507 11,137 11,781 11,841 12,925 385.8 403.7 422.2 417.1 455.3

New Hampshire 3,010 3,072 3,119 3,586 3,095 228.3 232.6 235.7 270.3 233.3

New Jersey 26,209 27,271 28,327 29,904 31,337 297.1 307.6 318.3 334.6 350.6

New Mexico 11,374 11,898 12,249 11,558 12,632 546.2 570.5 587.4 554.2 605.7

New York 102,763 100,546 95,803 98,814 103,615 527.9 513.8 487.5 500.4 524.7

North Carolina 54,819 50,596 48,416 47,147 64,376 567.7 518.8 491.6 474.1 647.4

North Dakota 2,445 2,908 2,932 3,451 3,159 357.5 415.6 405.3 466.7 427.2

Ohio 52,653 53,141 53,121 54,858 56,726 456.1 460.3 459.1 473.2 489.3

Oklahoma 14,596 16,843 18,278 20,662 21,025 385.0 441.5 474.7 532.8 542.2

Oregon 13,643 13,454 14,181 15,508 16,305 352.4 345.0 360.8 390.6 410.7

Pennsylvania 52,884 54,993 52,056 50,536 53,460 415.0 430.9 407.5 395.2 418.1

Rhode Island 4,146 4,313 4,312 4,349 4,575 394.4 410.6 410.1 412.2 433.6

South Carolina 28,932 27,149 25,594 28,087 27,538 618.3 574.7 536.0 581.2 569.9

South Dakota 3,409 3,924 3,927 4,166 3,949 413.7 470.9 464.8 488.3 462.9

Tennessee 31,105 32,525 30,370 30,793 31,272 485.8 503.8 467.5 470.2 477.5

Texas 124,882 127,036 129,861 131,219 141,158 486.4 487.5 491.0 486.8 523.6

Utah 7,086 7,615 7,535 8,223 8,633 251.5 266.7 259.7 279.4 293.3

Vermont 1,483 1,724 1,842 2,237 1,901 236.7 275.4 294.0 357.0 303.4

Virginia 36,314 34,963 33,316 36,048 35,349 448.5 427.1 403.3 432.9 424.5

Washington 23,280 24,596 24,950 26,577 28,699 340.8 356.6 357.9 376.4 406.4

West Virginia 4,295 4,790 5,139 4,719 4,958 231.5 258.2 277.1 255.0 268.0

Wisconsin 24,619 23,726 23,572 23,154 24,381 431.0 414.3 410.5 402.1 423.5

Wyoming 2,092 2,102 2,005 1,972 2,037 368.2 364.7 344.1 337.6 348.7

U.S. TOTAL 1,412,791 1,422,976 1,401,906 1,441,789 1,526,658 453.4 453.3 443.5 452.2 478.8

Northeast 230,002 231,947 224,882 227,609 239,174 414.3 416.0 402.0 405.3 425.9

Midwest 298,306 303,622 295,543 303,247 314,893 444.2 451.0 437.5 447.6 464.8

South 578,821 576,656 568,824 582,843 623,397 498.8 491.8 480.5 486.6 520.5

West 305,662 310,751 312,657 328,090 349,194 419.5 422.3 421.1 436.4 464.4

Guam 1,071 1,031 937 839 881 671.1 644.7 584.2 521.1 547.2

Puerto Rico 5,634 6,227 5,969 4,899 5,295 152.0 169.8 165.1 138.1 149.2

Virgin Islands 820 802 775 791 743 775.2 761.8 739.9 759.3 713.3

OUTLYING AREAS 7,525 8,060 7,681 6,529 6,919 189.4 205.0 198.0 171.2 181.4

TOTAL 1,420,316 1,431,036 1,409,587 1,448,318 1,533,577 450.1 450.2 440.5 448.9 475.3
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 89

Table 4. Chlamydia Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 21,217 22,099 21,096 20,619 18,674 857.9 889.8 847.8 825.0 747.1

Alaska 3,801 3,670 3,899 3,940 3,786 1,093.7 1,047.9 1,115.4 1,127.5 1,083.5

Arizona 21,196 22,087 21,950 22,747 22,299 650.5 670.4 658.9 671.5 658.2

Arkansas 11,921 12,247 11,334 11,625 12,088 797.3 816.1 752.7 770.4 801.0

California 114,657 114,396 112,460 115,339 121,387 605.3 598.2 583.7 590.5 621.4

Colorado 15,751 15,476 14,336 14,906 16,151 617.8 598.9 546.8 559.4 606.1

Connecticut 9,824 9,464 9,210 9,512 9,089 535.1 514.2 500.0 516.4 493.4

Delaware 3,191 3,181 3,714 3,084 3,118 682.9 672.9 777.3 638.6 645.6

District of Columbia 4,357 4,426 3,992 3,709 4,632 1,337.4 1,328.0 1,173.4 1,071.1 1,337.6

Florida 54,262 55,628 56,688 58,800 62,048 557.3 563.6 567.4 578.2 610.1

Georgia 39,829 37,456 36,559 36,871 40,302 794.6 738.9 715.3 713.1 779.5

Hawaii 4,314 4,452 4,646 4,469 4,720 629.8 644.9 669.0 637.1 672.9

Idaho 3,345 3,206 3,885 3,895 3,963 422.7 402.2 482.6 477.3 485.7

Illinois 46,728 48,575 45,764 46,516 47,268 712.9 740.9 698.1 709.1 720.6

Indiana 20,065 21,633 20,307 20,586 20,385 606.2 651.8 609.0 615.0 609.0

Iowa 7,647 8,194 7,895 8,385 8,372 495.0 528.7 507.1 536.1 535.3

Kansas 8,158 8,440 8,323 8,276 8,325 564.4 581.8 573.2 568.1 571.5

Kentucky 11,990 12,366 12,086 12,404 12,140 540.2 556.3 541.5 553.7 541.9

Louisiana 23,390 20,507 21,258 21,297 23,351 1,001.1 872.7 900.2 896.4 982.9

Maine 2,149 2,420 2,404 2,478 2,735 316.9 356.5 354.5 365.0 402.9

Maryland 20,004 19,295 19,049 19,162 18,612 665.1 635.9 623.7 622.1 604.3

Massachusetts 15,744 16,319 15,851 14,000 15,588 463.3 476.4 459.7 402.9 448.6

Michigan 36,367 34,510 32,056 31,470 32,425 723.0 685.7 636.5 624.2 643.2

Minnesota 11,827 12,568 12,950 13,484 14,112 439.7 464.3 474.9 491.2 514.1

Mississippi 15,697 16,771 12,676 14,008 12,335 1,024.6 1,092.1 824.9 909.9 801.2

Missouri 20,097 19,745 19,303 19,549 19,926 655.4 643.0 626.7 632.8 645.0

Montana 2,390 2,655 2,701 2,878 2,846 480.9 530.8 534.5 564.9 558.6

Nebraska 4,783 4,628 4,945 5,110 5,409 515.7 495.9 526.8 540.9 572.6

Nevada 7,215 7,628 8,183 8,039 8,743 534.9 557.7 591.0 569.2 619.1

New Hampshire 2,184 2,150 2,187 2,452 2,089 327.3 321.6 326.5 365.2 311.2

New Jersey 19,886 20,231 20,771 21,556 22,274 439.9 445.5 456.0 471.0 486.7

New Mexico 8,309 8,724 9,033 8,395 9,227 789.7 828.6 858.9 797.5 876.5

New York 70,466 68,337 64,454 65,114 66,164 702.3 677.9 637.2 640.6 650.9

North Carolina 42,992 39,140 37,146 35,494 47,178 868.1 782.9 735.9 696.0 925.2

North Dakota 1,603 1,898 1,923 2,202 2,028 474.7 551.9 544.2 610.9 562.6

Ohio 38,914 38,879 38,293 39,033 39,825 658.9 658.8 647.8 659.4 672.8

Oklahoma 10,349 12,341 13,065 14,855 14,904 540.8 641.1 672.3 758.7 761.2

Oregon 9,489 9,425 9,932 10,545 11,075 485.3 478.8 500.2 525.6 552.1

Pennsylvania 36,463 37,569 35,657 34,170 35,201 558.5 575.0 545.9 523.0 538.8

Rhode Island 2,984 3,091 3,044 3,037 3,064 549.5 570.3 561.5 558.5 563.4

South Carolina 22,278 20,497 19,103 20,581 19,743 927.2 844.7 779.2 828.8 795.1

South Dakota 2,491 2,801 2,793 2,942 2,831 606.2 674.9 664.2 694.1 667.9

Tennessee 22,200 22,732 21,057 21,203 21,112 676.3 687.3 632.6 631.6 628.9

Texas 95,326 96,405 96,923 96,959 102,141 737.1 735.3 728.7 714.3 752.4

Utah 4,821 5,149 5,050 5,414 5,704 343.9 362.8 350.2 370.0 389.8

Vermont 1,106 1,296 1,319 1,613 1,352 348.3 408.5 415.5 507.7 425.5

Virginia 26,283 24,670 23,167 24,754 23,859 637.9 592.4 551.8 585.1 563.9

Washington 16,641 17,271 17,452 18,193 19,047 486.5 499.8 500.2 515.1 539.3

West Virginia 3,092 3,405 3,624 3,356 3,449 328.8 362.2 386.1 358.4 368.3

Wisconsin 17,402 16,727 16,448 16,063 16,660 605.1 580.1 569.0 554.3 574.9

Wyoming 1,357 1,492 1,387 1,352 1,387 487.4 528.8 486.0 472.5 484.8

U.S. TOTAL 1,018,552 1,018,272 993,348 1,006,441 1,045,143 643.4 638.7 619.0 621.6 645.5

Northeast 160,806 160,877 154,897 153,932 157,556 563.8 562.0 539.7 534.4 547.0

Midwest 216,082 218,598 211,000 213,616 217,566 633.7 639.9 615.9 621.9 633.4

South 428,378 423,166 412,537 418,781 439,686 724.2 708.3 684.1 685.9 720.2

West 213,286 215,631 214,914 220,112 230,335 583.9 584.6 577.5 583.6 610.7

Guam 783 726 700 595 618 996.9 921.9 885.8 749.6 778.6

Puerto Rico 4,528 5,102 4,766 3,770 3,950 234.3 267.1 252.7 204.4 214.2

Virgin Islands 591 592 579 590 563 1,051.7 1,056.8 1,037.1 1,060.7 1,012.2

OUTLYING AREAS 5,902 6,420 6,045 4,955 5,131 285.5 314.0 299.1 250.4 259.3

TOTAL 1,024,454 1,024,692 999,393 1,011,396 1,050,274 638.8 634.6 615.0 617.1 640.8

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
90 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 5. Chlamydia Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 7,648 8,295 8,201 8,318 7,549 328.3 354.7 349.7 354.0 321.2

Alaska 1,938 1,792 1,875 1,849 1,871 516.5 470.0 486.3 477.4 483.1

Arizona 8,052 8,354 8,610 9,650 10,028 249.8 256.4 261.3 288.6 299.9

Arkansas 4,125 4,360 4,104 3,964 4,078 285.9 301.0 282.3 272.0 279.8

California 51,554 52,983 54,679 60,687 67,475 275.0 280.1 286.8 314.9 350.2

Colorado 6,057 6,155 6,050 6,957 7,706 235.9 236.4 228.6 258.5 286.3

Connecticut 3,825 3,524 3,481 3,757 3,926 219.2 201.4 198.4 214.1 223.8

Delaware 1,317 1,257 1,499 1,389 1,487 299.4 282.9 334.6 306.8 328.5

District of Columbia 2,225 2,345 2,400 1,555 3,108 761.4 784.2 783.7 497.4 994.2

Florida 21,685 22,009 23,300 25,239 28,332 232.6 233.0 243.7 259.6 291.4

Georgia 13,978 14,521 14,063 14,736 17,212 291.0 299.3 288.1 299.1 349.3

Hawaii 1,687 1,888 1,994 1,950 2,352 244.6 269.0 281.0 271.6 327.5

Idaho 1,347 1,344 1,528 1,547 1,663 169.7 168.3 189.3 189.0 203.2

Illinois 18,083 18,977 17,943 19,908 21,966 286.4 300.3 283.6 315.0 347.5

Indiana 7,681 7,850 7,708 7,921 8,492 239.5 243.9 238.2 243.8 261.3

Iowa 3,058 3,183 3,058 3,419 3,712 201.5 208.8 199.4 221.6 240.6

Kansas 2,440 2,695 2,689 2,840 3,139 171.1 187.8 186.5 196.2 216.9

Kentucky 4,577 4,851 4,989 5,194 5,273 212.9 224.8 230.6 239.0 242.6

Louisiana 7,568 6,846 7,481 7,655 8,974 338.1 304.0 330.4 336.6 394.6

Maine 944 990 1,031 1,050 1,230 145.2 152.2 158.6 161.2 188.9

Maryland 7,197 7,193 7,654 8,237 8,780 255.2 252.4 266.2 284.4 303.1

Massachusetts 7,000 7,193 7,341 7,197 8,406 219.5 223.4 226.2 220.0 257.0

Michigan 13,095 12,962 12,683 12,723 14,015 270.2 267.2 261.0 261.3 287.9

Minnesota 5,075 5,430 5,791 6,414 7,122 191.2 203.2 215.0 236.5 262.6

Mississippi 5,519 6,281 4,788 5,588 5,018 381.5 433.4 329.2 384.2 345.0

Missouri 7,790 8,090 8,025 8,432 9,022 264.6 274.1 270.8 283.5 303.3

Montana 1,016 1,172 1,116 1,314 1,338 202.7 232.1 218.9 255.6 260.2

Nebraska 1,987 2,093 2,196 2,357 2,531 217.1 226.9 236.2 251.6 270.2

Nevada 3,290 3,508 3,590 3,786 4,152 239.3 252.2 255.4 265.4 291.0

New Hampshire 826 922 932 1,130 1,006 126.9 141.4 142.6 172.4 153.5

New Jersey 6,231 6,958 7,476 8,272 9,025 144.9 160.9 172.1 189.6 206.9

New Mexico 3,054 3,170 3,209 3,148 3,400 296.5 307.0 310.5 304.8 329.2

New York 32,126 32,147 31,273 33,634 37,346 340.6 338.8 327.9 351.0 389.8

North Carolina 11,585 11,354 11,254 11,638 17,195 246.3 238.9 234.4 240.2 354.9

North Dakota 841 1,010 1,009 1,249 1,131 242.9 283.9 272.7 329.5 298.4

Ohio 13,731 14,262 14,828 15,825 16,901 243.5 252.8 262.0 278.9 297.8

Oklahoma 3,851 4,498 5,213 5,802 6,121 205.1 238.0 273.3 302.2 318.8

Oregon 4,154 4,028 4,243 4,953 5,223 216.7 208.6 218.2 252.2 265.9

Pennsylvania 16,364 17,388 16,360 16,315 18,201 263.3 279.1 262.1 260.9 291.0

Rhode Island 1,162 1,222 1,268 1,312 1,511 228.6 240.4 248.9 256.6 295.5

South Carolina 6,585 6,588 6,432 7,376 7,705 289.2 286.8 276.9 314.0 328.0

South Dakota 914 1,123 1,134 1,224 1,118 221.2 268.5 267.2 285.1 260.4

Tennessee 8,905 9,754 9,311 9,587 10,158 285.3 309.8 294.0 300.3 318.2

Texas 29,533 30,532 31,980 34,110 38,539 231.8 235.8 243.2 254.9 288.0

Utah 2,265 2,466 2,485 2,808 2,929 160.0 171.7 170.3 189.8 197.9

Vermont 377 428 523 622 549 122.1 138.6 169.2 201.4 177.8

Virginia 9,929 10,247 10,112 11,244 11,460 249.7 254.8 248.9 274.6 279.8

Washington 6,639 7,325 7,498 8,384 9,651 194.7 212.8 215.3 237.5 273.4

West Virginia 1,203 1,385 1,514 1,363 1,509 131.5 151.3 165.4 149.1 165.1

Wisconsin 7,203 6,999 7,114 7,077 7,703 254.0 246.2 249.4 247.5 269.4

Wyoming 734 610 617 619 643 253.3 207.3 207.5 207.7 215.7

U.S. TOTAL 389,970 402,557 405,652 433,325 478,981 254.4 260.6 260.6 276.1 305.2

Northeast 68,855 70,772 69,685 73,289 81,200 255.0 260.8 255.8 268.0 296.9

Midwest 81,898 84,674 84,178 89,389 96,852 247.7 255.4 252.9 267.7 290.0

South 147,430 152,316 154,295 162,995 182,498 259.1 264.8 265.7 277.6 310.8

West 91,787 94,795 97,494 107,652 118,431 252.6 258.3 263.2 287.3 316.0

Guam 288 305 234 244 263 355.3 375.8 287.6 298.9 322.2

Puerto Rico 1,106 1,125 1,203 1,126 1,319 62.3 64.0 69.6 66.1 77.4

Virgin Islands 229 210 196 201 180 461.8 426.3 400.7 414.0 370.8

OUTLYING AREAS 1,623 1,640 1,633 1,571 1,762 85.2 86.9 87.8 85.6 96.0

TOTAL 391,593 404,197 407,285 434,896 480,743 252.3 258.5 258.6 273.9 302.8

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 91

Table 6. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 27,372 26,470 16,429 25,744 19,106 509.0 485.0 297.5 458.5 340.3

Austin-Round Rock, TX 9,360 9,810 10,138 10,920 11,679 524.8 534.8 538.4 561.9 601.0

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 14,399 13,578 13,749 14,095 14,016 527.6 493.2 496.2 505.9 503.1

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 6,834 6,868 6,552 6,309 5,839 603.6 604.2 574.6 551.6 510.5

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 15,703 16,339 16,127 14,264 14,378 342.0 352.1 344.3 301.4 303.8

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 5,965 6,010 5,724 5,841 5,900 526.0 529.9 504.7 514.0 519.2

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 13,257 11,548 11,418 11,766 16,284 587.2 502.8 488.9 494.3 684.1

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 49,590 51,329 47,837 51,457 54,248 521.7 539.0 501.6 538.6 567.8

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 10,044 10,234 10,207 10,516 11,219 473.2 480.8 477.5 489.2 521.9

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 12,348 12,339 12,126 11,363 11,312 597.0 598.0 587.3 550.6 548.2

Columbus, OH 9,031 8,946 9,734 10,258 11,327 469.3 460.2 494.8 514.3 567.9

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 32,002 31,697 30,684 30,549 35,900 486.2 473.0 450.5 439.3 516.2

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 12,710 12,764 12,131 13,346 13,942 488.9 482.5 449.7 484.6 506.2

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 26,237 24,229 22,567 21,012 22,238 612.2 564.5 525.4 489.0 517.6

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 4,837 4,562 4,311 4,713 4,689 398.7 375.7 354.8 388.1 386.1

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 26,508 26,807 29,120 30,554 32,823 437.4 434.0 461.3 470.8 505.7

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 11,117 12,714 11,835 11,952 11,544 582.1 659.1 605.7 606.3 585.6

Jacksonville, FL 7,264 6,813 7,138 7,391 8,012 534.0 494.5 511.8 520.8 564.6

Kansas City, MO-KS 10,038 10,152 9,513 9,866 10,240 495.3 498.0 463.0 476.4 494.4

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 8,337 8,587 9,286 9,485 10,049 423.2 429.2 457.9 458.3 485.5

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 58,552 60,231 59,386 64,263 68,285 452.3 461.4 452.2 484.6 514.9

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 6,483 6,658 6,384 6,751 6,735 520.6 532.1 505.8 531.7 530.4

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 11,720 12,744 10,763 10,554 10,342 878.3 949.8 802.2 785.7 769.9

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 19,561 20,933 22,821 24,599 26,746 345.0 363.2 391.6 414.8 451.0

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 11,712 10,929 10,754 10,303 10,645 749.7 697.5 685.1 655.3 677.1

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 12,143 12,144 12,227 13,589 14,709 358.5 354.9 353.5 388.8 420.8

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 6,990 7,151 7,356 7,878 8,066 411.5 414.1 418.5 439.5 449.9

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 8,124 7,118 8,134 8,595 9,291 669.8 580.1 655.5 686.6 742.2

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 95,088 92,763 89,211 93,515 97,835 483.0 467.7 447.2 465.4 486.9

Oklahoma City, OK 5,087 5,640 6,190 7,293 7,633 398.0 435.0 469.1 545.6 571.0

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 9,545 9,928 10,230 11,001 12,026 439.6 446.5 451.1 473.9 518.0

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 34,799 35,513 34,741 33,376 34,910 580.7 590.0 575.7 551.6 576.9

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 17,746 20,358 20,164 21,576 21,795 416.3 470.2 458.4 480.6 485.5

Pittsburgh, PA 8,436 8,994 8,605 8,059 8,604 357.5 381.0 364.5 342.1 365.2

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 8,509 7,797 8,536 9,283 9,982 376.1 340.5 368.8 395.3 425.1

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 5,559 5,941 5,828 5,695 5,907 347.4 371.0 363.3 353.9 367.0

Raleigh, NC 5,693 5,373 4,966 5,126 6,911 489.3 452.1 408.9 412.4 556.0

Richmond, VA 7,698 7,224 6,817 7,817 7,878 631.5 586.4 547.2 620.4 625.2

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 20,749 20,994 19,819 19,560 20,778 482.0 482.6 452.4 440.4 467.8

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 10,866 9,852 9,771 9,674 10,621 499.3 448.5 441.0 431.0 473.2

Salt Lake City, UT 3,767 4,041 3,947 4,423 4,751 339.9 359.6 346.1 383.5 411.9

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 13,066 13,023 13,335 11,573 14,465 595.3 582.9 585.5 497.0 621.2

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 15,346 16,524 14,706 15,754 17,378 488.7 520.1 458.0 482.7 532.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 18,745 17,171 18,254 20,377 23,519 426.9 385.4 404.2 443.6 511.9

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 5,965 4,676 6,717 6,278 6,898 319.8 246.8 349.9 321.5 353.2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 12,329 12,965 12,971 13,861 15,257 352.3 365.0 359.3 377.5 415.6

St. Louis, MO-IL 15,517 14,843 14,783 14,711 14,961 555.7 530.9 527.8 524.2 533.1

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 12,595 12,274 12,752 12,952 13,472 445.9 431.7 444.2 444.2 462.1

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 13,674 12,409 11,852 12,192 11,281 811.5 730.0 694.2 710.2 657.2

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 22,839 23,872 23,531 18,342 18,890 396.6 407.3 395.5 304.0 313.1

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 811,856 811,879 792,177 820,371 865,316 479.2 474.2 458.3 469.1 494.8

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
92 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 7. Chlamydia Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 19,507 18,298 11,221 17,564 12,640 707.7 652.7 395.0 607.2 437.0

Austin-Round Rock, TX 6,644 6,909 6,691 7,513 7,779 746.6 755.2 712.3 773.7 801.1

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 10,668 9,933 9,848 9,780 9,453 754.3 696.7 686.9 678.0 655.4

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 4,834 4,866 4,486 4,300 3,940 824.1 826.1 759.2 724.5 663.8

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 10,747 11,234 10,791 9,243 9,137 454.1 469.9 447.5 379.6 375.2

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 4,370 4,317 4,024 4,077 4,035 745.7 737.4 688.0 696.2 689.1

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 10,024 8,731 8,605 8,633 11,672 864.7 740.1 717.0 705.1 953.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 35,360 36,701 34,216 35,696 36,547 728.0 754.3 702.5 730.9 748.3

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 7,763 7,750 7,527 7,724 8,050 715.9 713.0 690.0 703.9 733.6

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 9,065 8,877 8,550 7,914 7,815 844.7 829.5 799.4 740.8 731.5

Columbus, OH 6,266 6,280 6,749 6,895 7,704 640.2 635.3 674.7 680.3 760.1

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 24,221 24,018 22,744 22,213 25,902 726.5 707.6 658.7 628.6 732.9

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 9,143 9,117 8,447 9,020 9,265 700.4 686.4 624.1 652.7 670.4

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 19,161 17,460 16,152 14,822 15,410 867.8 789.8 730.5 670.3 696.9

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 3,470 3,301 3,109 3,349 3,226 557.6 529.8 499.0 538.2 518.5

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 20,956 20,858 22,027 22,832 23,828 688.2 672.3 695.0 699.6 730.1

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 7,579 8,899 8,149 8,398 7,816 776.3 902.5 816.1 832.9 775.2

Jacksonville, FL 5,213 4,812 5,131 5,238 5,637 746.9 680.7 717.4 719.3 774.1

Kansas City, MO-KS 7,278 7,295 6,795 6,991 7,108 703.8 701.5 649.2 662.4 673.4

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 5,777 5,942 6,571 6,486 6,885 590.2 597.1 650.5 627.4 666.0

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 38,802 39,470 38,456 40,401 42,385 592.0 597.1 578.5 600.7 630.2

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 4,745 4,884 4,574 4,827 4,686 744.1 762.7 708.1 742.6 721.0

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 8,767 9,367 7,717 7,758 7,238 1,263.3 1,342.7 1,105.5 1,109.2 1,034.8

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 13,815 14,692 15,645 16,473 17,461 473.5 495.4 521.9 539.6 571.9

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 8,397 7,760 7,463 7,183 7,242 1,047.4 964.7 926.6 890.0 897.3

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 8,371 8,326 8,293 8,957 9,497 488.7 481.1 474.2 507.0 537.6

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 4,942 4,928 5,084 5,278 5,322 568.7 557.8 565.0 574.5 579.3

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 6,056 5,326 6,062 6,301 6,710 972.3 843.9 948.7 975.3 1,038.6

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 65,988 63,588 60,539 62,097 62,905 648.2 620.5 587.7 598.4 606.2

Oklahoma City, OK 3,518 3,951 4,430 5,255 5,420 543.3 601.6 662.5 775.0 799.4

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 6,993 7,373 7,503 8,021 8,505 631.1 649.6 648.3 675.8 716.6

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 23,928 24,166 23,532 22,317 22,967 772.0 776.5 754.4 713.7 734.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 12,696 14,396 14,206 14,841 14,607 592.8 661.6 642.4 656.9 646.5

Pittsburgh, PA 5,963 6,325 6,046 5,509 5,681 489.5 519.7 497.4 454.6 468.8

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 5,824 5,359 5,809 6,158 6,559 508.8 462.8 496.1 518.4 552.2

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 4,022 4,256 4,124 3,945 3,989 486.9 515.3 498.7 475.6 480.9

Raleigh, NC 3,951 3,691 3,490 3,502 4,685 663.4 606.8 561.5 550.1 735.9

Richmond, VA 5,599 5,083 4,792 5,311 5,330 889.1 798.4 744.7 815.9 818.8

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 15,241 15,296 14,536 13,988 14,693 704.9 700.5 661.1 626.6 658.2

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 7,874 7,122 6,915 6,686 7,284 709.9 635.9 611.8 583.6 635.8

Salt Lake City, UT 2,517 2,679 2,541 2,873 3,067 457.0 479.6 448.0 500.3 534.1

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 9,286 9,436 9,576 8,158 10,005 832.0 832.1 829.5 690.9 847.4

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 10,395 11,102 9,684 10,211 11,154 664.9 702.5 606.3 628.9 687.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 11,733 10,391 10,845 11,509 12,508 527.7 460.5 474.3 494.3 537.2

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 4,187 3,260 4,530 4,100 4,328 450.7 345.9 474.6 422.3 445.8

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 8,259 8,460 8,411 8,751 9,306 470.9 474.8 465.4 476.5 506.7

St. Louis, MO-IL 11,077 10,351 10,364 10,271 10,158 769.0 717.8 717.6 709.9 702.1

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 8,913 8,738 8,948 9,066 9,269 612.5 596.5 604.2 602.5 616.0

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 9,798 8,771 8,259 8,425 7,677 1,141.0 1,015.2 952.5 966.9 881.1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 15,946 16,349 15,768 12,501 12,517 540.4 544.5 518.1 405.0 405.5

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 575,649 570,494 549,975 559,361 577,004 665.7 653.1 623.8 626.7 646.4

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 93

Table 8. Chlamydia Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 7,563 7,917 5,061 7,979 6,429 288.6 298.3 188.7 293.2 236.2

Austin-Round Rock, TX 2,710 2,890 2,592 3,372 3,871 303.2 314.3 274.7 346.8 398.1

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 3,723 3,608 3,889 4,294 4,514 283.2 271.8 290.9 319.6 336.0

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1,852 1,985 2,031 1,990 1,886 339.4 362.5 369.7 361.6 342.7

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 4,946 5,086 5,328 4,988 5,211 222.4 226.0 234.4 217.2 226.9

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 1,595 1,693 1,700 1,764 1,865 291.1 308.5 309.5 320.3 338.6

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3,191 2,794 2,804 3,125 4,607 290.5 250.2 247.0 270.4 398.6

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 14,110 14,518 13,553 15,679 17,517 303.6 311.8 290.4 335.7 375.0

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,279 2,482 2,676 2,787 3,168 219.5 238.3 255.7 264.9 301.1

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 3,283 3,462 3,576 3,449 3,497 329.9 348.5 359.4 346.5 351.4

Columbus, OH 2,762 2,666 2,985 3,363 3,623 292.2 279.0 308.7 342.8 369.3

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,778 7,669 7,916 8,313 9,941 239.5 231.9 235.7 243.0 290.6

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 3,564 3,647 3,684 4,326 4,677 275.4 276.9 274.1 315.2 340.8

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 7,011 6,718 6,350 6,153 6,795 337.4 322.8 304.7 295.0 325.8

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,367 1,245 1,181 1,333 1,443 231.3 210.5 199.4 225.1 243.7

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,550 5,944 7,078 7,700 8,939 184.1 193.3 225.1 238.6 277.0

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 3,513 3,802 3,681 3,544 3,723 376.3 403.2 385.3 368.0 386.6

Jacksonville, FL 2,047 2,001 1,989 2,138 2,367 309.1 298.2 292.7 309.4 342.6

Kansas City, MO-KS 2,760 2,857 2,718 2,875 3,132 278.1 286.1 269.7 283.1 308.4

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 2,558 2,644 2,708 2,986 3,139 258.1 262.9 266.1 288.3 303.0

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 19,577 20,633 20,831 23,766 25,764 306.3 320.3 321.3 363.6 394.2

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,710 1,744 1,781 1,896 2,031 281.4 285.4 289.0 305.9 327.7

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 2,953 3,377 3,046 2,795 3,104 461.1 524.3 473.2 434.1 482.1

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,721 6,238 7,134 8,086 9,270 207.8 223.0 252.0 281.1 322.2

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 3,312 3,169 3,284 3,111 3,394 435.5 415.5 429.7 406.6 443.6

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,772 3,813 3,933 4,623 5,206 225.3 225.4 229.9 267.5 301.2

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 2,048 2,185 2,271 2,598 2,744 246.8 259.1 264.6 297.3 314.0

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 2,043 1,792 2,072 2,294 2,581 346.3 300.7 344.2 378.7 426.1

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 28,877 29,065 28,546 31,310 34,799 303.7 303.3 295.8 322.3 358.2

Oklahoma City, OK 1,457 1,688 1,760 2,036 2,213 231.1 263.8 270.4 309.1 335.9

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2,539 2,555 2,708 2,964 3,511 238.8 234.7 243.9 261.2 309.5

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 10,817 11,314 11,178 11,010 11,912 373.9 389.2 383.4 376.5 407.4

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 5,047 5,960 5,957 6,735 7,173 237.9 276.8 272.3 302.0 321.7

Pittsburgh, PA 2,471 2,668 2,550 2,541 2,909 216.5 233.3 222.6 222.1 254.3

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 2,685 2,437 2,723 3,124 3,416 240.2 215.3 238.1 269.2 294.4

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 1,536 1,683 1,702 1,744 1,913 198.4 217.1 218.9 223.6 245.3

Raleigh, NC 1,723 1,673 1,474 1,622 2,226 303.4 288.3 248.6 267.5 367.1

Richmond, VA 2,053 2,129 2,011 2,503 2,540 348.4 357.6 333.9 410.9 417.0

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 5,412 5,683 5,271 5,542 6,070 252.6 262.3 241.5 250.8 274.7

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 2,960 2,712 2,846 2,976 3,322 277.4 251.9 262.2 270.9 302.3

Salt Lake City, UT 1,250 1,362 1,406 1,550 1,684 224.2 241.0 245.2 267.7 290.8

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 3,780 3,587 3,757 3,412 4,459 350.4 326.1 334.5 297.2 388.4

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 4,925 5,418 5,013 5,508 6,190 312.3 339.3 310.6 335.9 377.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,948 6,739 7,370 8,823 10,961 320.5 306.5 330.5 389.4 483.8

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,667 1,353 2,186 2,163 2,565 178.0 142.1 226.5 220.3 261.2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,070 4,505 4,560 5,110 5,951 233.1 254.5 253.0 278.5 324.3

St. Louis, MO-IL 4,436 4,474 4,411 4,429 4,762 328.1 330.5 325.1 325.8 350.3

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 3,657 3,532 3,752 3,835 4,195 267.0 256.3 270.0 271.8 297.3

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 3,857 3,631 3,584 3,748 3,595 466.8 434.3 426.5 443.4 425.3

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6,867 7,461 7,725 5,813 6,359 244.6 261.1 265.8 197.2 215.8

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 234,332 240,208 240,342 259,825 287,163 282.5 286.5 283.8 303.4 335.4

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
94 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 9. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties and Independent 

Cities* Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015

Rank* County/Independent City Cases Rate per 100,000 Population Cumulative Percentage

1 Los Angeles County, CA 56,968 563.1 3

2 Cook County, IL 39,539 753.6 6

3 Harris County, TX 25,881 582.7 8

4 Maricopa County, AZ 20,483 501.2 9

5 Philadelphia County, PA 19,169 1,228.5 10

6 Kings County, NY 18,332 699.2 11

7 San Diego County, CA 17,378 532.5 12

8 Bronx County, NY 16,540 1,150.1 14

9 Dallas County, TX 16,350 649.2 15

10 Wayne County, MI 14,899 844.2 16

11 New York County, NY 13,841 845.9 16

12 Bexar County, TX 13,148 708.5 17

13 Queens County, NY 12,471 537.2 18

14 Miami-Dade County, FL 11,851 445.0 19

15 Orange County, CA 11,317 359.8 20

16 San Bernardino County, CA 11,011 521.2 20

17 Clark County, NV 10,049 485.5 21

18 Riverside County, CA 9,767 419.3 22

19 Milwaukee County, WI 9,663 1,010.3 22

20 Tarrant County, TX 9,589 492.9 23

21 Broward County, FL 9,529 509.8 24

22 Mecklenburg County, NC 9,276 916.1 24

23 Franklin County, OH 9,193 746.6 25

24 Cuyahoga County, OH 9,073 720.2 25

25 Marion County, IN 8,869 949.3 26

26 King County, WA 8,447 406.1 27

27 Sacramento County, CA 8,421 568.2 27

28 Alameda County, CA 8,132 504.8 28

29 Shelby County, TN 8,054 857.9 28

30 Orange County, FL 8,002 638.6 29

31 Travis County, TX 7,951 690.7 29

32 San Francisco County, CA 7,648 897.2 30

33 Hillsborough County, FL 7,588 576.5 30

34 Hennepin County, MN 7,016 578.8 31

35 Hamilton County, OH 6,834 847.2 31

36 Santa Clara County, CA 6,733 355.4 32

37 Baltimore (City), MD 6,728 1,080.3 32

38 Duval County, FL 6,484 722.3 32

39 Prince George’s County, MD 6,153 680.3 33

40 Denver County, CO 6,106 919.8 33

41 Kern County, CA 6,081 695.3 34

42 Fresno County, CA 5,946 615.5 34

43 Allegheny County, PA 5,854 475.4 34

44 Wake County, NC 5,771 577.9 35

45 Essex County, NJ 5,555 698.1 35

46 St. Louis County, MO 5,517 550.7 35

47 Honolulu County, HI 5,494 553.9 36

48 Pima County, AZ 5,480 545.5 36

49 Palm Beach County, FL 5,366 383.9 37

50 Jackson County, MO 5,252 768.7 37

51 Oklahoma County, OK 5,235 683.2 37

52 Jefferson County, KY 5,141 676.4 38

53 Erie County, NY 5,063 548.6 38

54 Fulton County, GA 4,990 500.8 38

55 Collin County, TX 4,899 553.4 39

56 Bernalillo County, NM 4,851 718.1 39

57 Guilford County, NC 4,781 933.6 39

58 Monroe County, NY 4,735 631.5 39

59 Contra Costa County, CA 4,697 422.6 40

60 El Paso County, TX 4,670 560.3 40

61 Multnomah County, OR 4,646 598.2 40

62 Jefferson County, AL 4,626 700.1 41

63 Pierce County, WA 4,617 555.0 41

64 Salt Lake County, UT 4,586 420.1 41

65 Orleans Parish, LA 4,418 1,149.6 42

66 Davidson County, TN 4,403 658.8 42

67 Tulsa County, OK 4,310 684.6 42

68 Pinellas County, FL 4,156 443.0 42

69 Middlesex County, MA 4,152 264.4 43

70 St. Louis (City), MO 4,042 1,273.4 43

* The top 70 counties and independent cities ranked in descending order by number of cases reported in 2015 then by rate are displayed.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 95

Table 10. Chlamydia — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, 

United States, 2011–2015

Age Cases Rates per 100,000 Population*

Group Total Male Female Unknown Sex Total Male Female

0–4 747 284 458 5 3.7 2.8 4.6

2011

5–9 143 24 118 1 0.7 0.2 1.2

10–14 15,405 1,743 13,588 74 74.4 16.5 134.3

15–19 459,029 90,764 366,818 1,447 2,120.8 816.3 3,485.2

20–24 542,947 147,948 393,534 1,465 2,450.8 1,307.8 3,630.0

25–29 214,534 73,357 140,628 549 1,008.2 681.7 1,337.0

30–34 91,787 34,971 56,562 254 447.5 340.1 553.0

35–39 40,734 16,911 23,711 112 207.9 173.2 241.1

40–44 21,654 10,460 11,120 74 102.9 100.0 105.2

45–54 18,136 9,910 8,182 44 40.6 45.0 36.0

55–64 4,210 2,300 1,903 7 11.1 12.5 9.7

65+ 1,064 569 486 9 2.6 3.2 2.1

Unknown Age 2,401 729 1,444 228

TOTAL 1,412,791 389,970 1,018,552 4,269 453.4 254.4 643.4

0–4 774 272 495 7 3.9 2.7 5.1

2012

5–9 151 17 134 0 0.7 0.2 1.3

10–14 14,355 1,655 12,673 27 69.5 15.7 125.5

15–19 433,239 86,150 346,430 659 2,028.2 785.8 3,331.7

20–24 554,173 152,772 400,629 772 2,453.9 1,322.8 3,630.9

25–29 224,014 77,666 146,037 311 1,046.9 716.2 1,383.8

30–34 97,736 38,011 59,594 131 467.4 362.2 572.1

35–39 43,660 18,274 25,313 73 224.0 188.1 259.0

40–44 23,882 11,596 12,245 41 113.6 110.9 115.9

45–54 20,321 11,332 8,961 28 45.9 52.0 39.9

55–64 4,950 2,783 2,161 6 12.8 15.0 10.8

65+ 1,134 602 525 7 2.6 3.2 2.2

Unknown Age 4,587 1,427 3,075 85

TOTAL 1,422,976 402,557 1,018,272 2,147 453.3 260.6 638.7

0–4 681 266 402 13 3.4 2.6 4.1

2013

5–9 145 20 123 2 0.7 0.2 1.2

10–14 12,585 1,554 11,001 30 60.9 14.7 108.9

15–19 395,612 78,404 316,438 770 1,869.7 722.9 3,068.4

20–24 553,658 153,102 399,545 1,011 2,428.8 1,310.9 3,594.2

25–29 233,429 82,190 150,733 506 1,081.7 749.9 1,419.3

30–34 103,675 41,017 62,414 244 487.6 384.0 589.8

35–39 46,991 20,157 26,720 114 239.7 206.0 272.1

40–44 24,774 12,200 12,501 73 118.8 117.8 119.2

45–54 21,511 12,180 9,299 32 49.1 56.5 41.9

55–64 5,424 3,154 2,259 11 13.8 16.6 11.1

65+ 1,377 750 616 11 3.1 3.8 2.5

Unknown Age 2,044 658 1,297 89

TOTAL 1,401,906 405,652 993,348 2,906 443.5 260.6 619.0

0–4 603 200 388 15 3.0 2.0 4.0

2014

5–9 181 26 152 3 0.9 0.2 1.5

10–14 11,406 1,342 10,041 23 55.2 12.7 99.2

15–19 381,717 77,908 303,294 515 1,811.9 722.4 2,949.3

20–24 566,385 159,804 405,876 705 2,472.0 1,361.3 3,632.7

25–29 253,825 91,729 161,793 303 1,154.4 821.8 1,494.4

30–34 113,208 45,990 67,060 158 525.9 425.5 625.6

35–39 52,536 22,894 29,545 97 263.7 230.3 296.0

40–44 27,426 13,711 13,662 53 133.2 134.2 131.7

45–54 24,773 14,318 10,424 31 57.0 66.8 47.3

55–64 6,527 3,911 2,603 13 16.3 20.2 12.5

65+ 1,449 871 570 8 3.1 4.3 2.2

Unknown Age 1,753 621 1,033 99

TOTAL 1,441,789 433,325 1,006,441 2,023 452.2 276.1 621.6

0–4 518 196 322 0 2.6 1.9 3.3

2015

5–9 148 18 130 0 0.7 0.2 1.3

10–14 10,642 1,216 9,394 32 51.5 11.5 92.8

15–19 391,396 82,775 307,937 684 1,857.8 767.6 2,994.4

20–24 589,963 172,313 416,772 878 2,574.9 1,467.8 3,730.3

25–29 280,429 104,679 175,291 459 1,275.4 937.9 1,619.1

30–34 123,866 52,019 71,653 194 575.4 481.3 668.4

35–39 59,905 27,180 32,621 104 300.7 273.4 326.8

40–44 30,379 15,210 15,118 51 147.5 148.8 145.8

45–54 28,833 17,011 11,764 58 66.3 79.4 53.4

55–64 7,756 4,901 2,840 15 19.4 25.4 13.7

65+ 1,596 1,043 546 7 3.5 5.1 2.1

Unknown Age 1,227 420 755 52

TOTAL 1,526,658 478,981 1,045,143 2,534 478.8 305.2 645.5

* No population data are available for unknown sex and age; therefore, rates are not calculated.

NOTE: This table should be used only for age comparisons. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission.
96 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 11A. Chlamydia — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex,

United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 4 1 3 4 2 2 123 40 83 1 0 1

5–9 2 0 2 0 0 0 46 5 41 0 0 0

10–14 168 8 160 42 3 39 4,215 575 3,636 19 3 16

15–19 4,065 701 3,362 2,656 404 2,248 125,272 32,090 93,081 709 109 598

20–24 5,833 1,256 4,577 6,766 1,662 5,097 168,671 54,126 114,437 1,325 315 1,010

25–29 3,435 925 2,510 4,344 1,562 2,779 75,111 30,211 44,854 703 211 492

30–34 1,663 457 1,206 2,341 920 1,418 29,763 13,857 15,877 359 107 252

35–39 769 205 563 1,298 556 741 13,472 7,109 6,358 152 53 99

40–44 338 90 248 756 351 405 6,156 3,665 2,483 53 21 32

45–54 292 97 195 672 329 342 5,620 3,625 1,993 49 19 30

55–64 61 21 40 183 81 102 1,559 1,007 549 14 8 6

65+ 10 6 4 41 22 19 232 154 78 0 0 0

Unknown Age 12 4 8 16 2 14 175 70 102 9 3 5

TOTAL 16,652 3,771 12,878 19,119 5,894 13,206 430,415 146,534 283,572 3,393 849 2,541

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics Other/

Unknown

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 89 38 51 4 1 3 65 25 40 215 82 133

5–9 20 2 18 1 0 1 29 3 26 46 8 38

10–14 1,664 92 1,568 73 2 71 1,305 150 1,154 3,039 366 2,652

15–19 89,407 14,240 75,106 2,316 369 1,947 49,487 9,314 40,138 115,522 25,013 90,068

20–24 148,222 41,176 106,961 3,007 855 2,150 77,198 19,982 57,150 176,303 52,067 123,662

25–29 69,337 26,103 43,176 1,304 596 707 39,781 13,494 26,247 84,831 30,878 53,681

30–34 29,965 12,981 16,965 593 360 232 19,281 7,170 12,089 39,202 15,783 23,316

35–39 13,944 6,650 7,280 280 195 84 9,579 3,764 5,807 20,057 8,420 11,570

40–44 7,114 3,864 3,249 163 130 32 4,728 2,024 2,693 10,890 4,939 5,924

45–54 7,485 5,170 2,309 182 148 34 3,768 1,959 1,803 10,536 5,491 5,012

55–64 2,192 1,685 507 34 27 7 684 367 317 2,975 1,666 1,299

65+ 448 342 105 8 7 1 111 63 47 735 442 288

Unknown Age 178 55 120 5 0 5 176 47 126 607 220 345

TOTAL 370,065 112,398 257,415 7,970 2,690 5,274 206,192 58,362 147,637 464,958 145,375 317,988

* Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 10 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 3–5 for total and sex-specific cases 

and rates. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chlamydia Tables 97

Table 11B. Chlamydia — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population by Race/Ethnicity, Age 

Group, and Sex, United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 2.4 1.2 3.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 4.5 2.9 6.2 2.5 0.0 5.1

5–9 1.1 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.4 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 94.6 8.8 183.6 4.2 0.6 7.9 148.9 40.1 260.6 48.1 14.8 82.9

15–19 2,229.6 754.8 3,758.4 267.9 80.6 458.9 4,200.8 2,119.6 6,340.3 1,770.9 526.6 3,092.0

20–24 2,887.9 1,213.8 4,646.5 552.1 267.2 844.6 4,936.0 3,128.8 6,782.5 2,759.8 1,277.4 4,325.3

25–29 1,944.5 1,033.3 2,880.7 309.1 228.5 385.0 2,546.1 2,079.7 2,995.5 1,398.3 812.6 2,023.9

30–34 1,032.3 570.5 1,489.0 162.3 135.6 185.6 1,088.7 1,057.5 1,115.3 756.1 437.3 1,095.0

35–39 531.7 285.2 773.9 95.1 87.3 101.8 535.7 597.7 479.8 376.5 255.6 504.3

40–44 232.1 125.6 335.1 54.9 54.6 55.2 239.1 302.7 182.1 144.5 113.7 175.9

45–54 93.1 63.9 120.5 29.2 30.6 27.8 106.4 146.1 71.2 72.0 56.0 87.9

55–64 22.7 16.6 28.2 9.9 9.7 10.0 35.1 49.7 22.7 27.2 31.8 22.9

65+ 4.3 5.8 3.1 2.2 2.7 1.8 5.8 9.7 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

Unknown Age

TOTAL 709.1 325.8 1,081.2 114.1 74.0 150.2 1,097.6 782.0 1,384.8 622.1 308.2 941.3

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0.9 0.7 1.1 0.4 0.2 0.7 1.3 1.0 1.6

5–9 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.1 1.0

10–14 15.1 1.6 29.2 9.7 0.5 19.2 26.9 6.1 48.5

15–19 775.2 240.3 1,339.1 349.4 109.9 594.9 1,067.0 391.9 1,775.2

20–24 1,174.8 637.2 1,737.8 525.1 301.0 744.9 1,617.9 803.7 2,500.9

25–29 556.7 412.9 704.0 301.3 289.0 312.2 896.1 575.4 1,253.3

30–34 244.1 209.6 279.0 159.4 205.3 117.9 435.7 310.1 572.2

35–39 122.6 116.1 129.1 90.9 134.7 51.4 232.1 177.4 289.5

40–44 57.9 62.6 53.1 59.0 99.8 21.9 122.7 103.6 141.8

45–54 26.2 36.3 16.1 37.8 64.9 13.4 59.6 61.4 57.5

55–64 7.6 11.9 3.4 9.1 15.2 3.6 16.9 18.8 15.1

65+ 1.2 2.1 0.5 2.5 4.9 0.6 3.1 4.1 2.3

Unknown Age

TOTAL 187.2 115.4 256.7 125.0 85.9 162.7 372.7 208.6 540.1

* Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 10 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 3–5 for total and sex-specific cases 

and rates. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission. No population data exist for unknown sex, unknown age, or unknown race; 

therefore rates are not calculated.
98 Chlamydia Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 12. Chlamydia Among Women Aged 15–24 Years — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported 

Cases by Age, United States, 2011–2015

Age Cases Rate per 100,000 Population

2011

15 25,792 1,272.2

16 48,942 2,368.5

17 75,143 3,569.5

18 104,501 4,902.9

19 112,440 5,122.9

20 107,958 4,804.7

21 95,195 4,236.2

22 77,799 3,605.2

23 62,339 2,953.3

24 50,243 2,417.5

2012

15 24,453 1,207.2

16 45,041 2,212.8

17 69,465 3,346.4

18 99,459 4,699.5

19 108,012 5,036.6

20 104,425 4,727.7

21 96,456 4,266.0

22 81,292 3,593.9

23 65,473 3,011.7

24 52,983 2,489.8

2013

15 21,680 1,070.3

16 40,528 1,994.3

17 61,666 3,018.5

18 90,330 4,332.6

19 102,234 4,806.0

20 99,556 4,617.4

21 93,713 4,219.8

22 81,884 3,600.6

23 68,600 3,013.5

24 55,792 2,548.7

2014

15 20,096 987.4

16 38,507 1,891.0

17 58,940 2,880.9

18 87,040 4,224.2

19 98,711 4,688.0

20 98,480 4,581.9

21 94,204 4,323.2

22 82,581 3,679.3

23 71,535 3,112.0

24 59,076 2,567.1

2015

15 19,643 965.1

16 37,786 1,855.6

17 60,149 2,940.0

18 89,481 4,342.6

19 100,878 4,790.9

20 99,861 4,646.2

21 95,927 4,402.3

22 84,740 3,775.5

23 73,686 3,205.5

24 62,558 2,718.5

NOTE: This table should be used only for age comparisons. Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 99

Table 13. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, Ranked by Rates, 

United States, 2015

Rank* State Cases Rate per 100,000 Population

1 Louisiana 10,282 221.1

2 North Carolina 19,809 199.2

3 Mississippi 5,775 192.9

4 South Carolina 8,206 169.8

5 Oklahoma 6,542 168.7

6 Arkansas 4,780 161.1

7 Georgia 15,982 158.3

8 Alaska 1,113 151.1

9 Alabama 7,196 148.4

10 Missouri 8,942 147.5

11 Texas 39,717 147.3

12 Ohio 16,564 142.9

13 Delaware 1,310 140.0

14 California 54,135 139.5

15 Illinois 17,130 133.0

16 New York 25,561 129.4

17 Tennessee 8,386 128.0

18 Nevada 3,630 127.9

U.S. TOTAL† 395,216 123.9

19 South Dakota 1,048 122.8

20 Arizona 8,245 122.5

21 Florida 24,125 121.3

22 New Mexico 2,489 119.3

23 Indiana 7,843 118.9

24 Maryland 6,858 114.8

25 Kentucky 4,678 106.0

26 Michigan 10,330 104.2

27 Washington 7,171 101.6

28 Pennsylvania 12,791 100.0

29 Virginia 8,099 97.3

30 North Dakota 684 92.5

31 Wisconsin 5,260 91.4

32 Nebraska 1,703 90.5

33 Kansas 2,536 87.3

34 Hawaii 1,239 87.3

35 Montana 844 82.5

36 Colorado 4,387 81.9

37 Oregon 3,232 81.4

38 New Jersey 7,228 80.9

39 Minnesota 4,097 75.1

40 Iowa 2,247 72.3

41 Connecticut 2,088 58.1

42 Massachusetts 3,817 56.6

43 Rhode Island 580 55.0

44 Utah 1,562 53.1

45 West Virginia 769 41.6

46 Maine 417 31.4

47 Wyoming 175 30.0

48 Idaho 472 28.9

49 Vermont 155 24.7

50 New Hampshire 245 18.5

* States were ranked by rate, then by case count, then in alphabetical order, with rates shown rounded to the nearest tenth.

† Total includes cases reported by the District of Columbia with 2,742 cases and a rate of 416.2, but excludes outlying areas (Guam with 147 cases and rate of 91.3, 

Puerto Rico with 620 cases and rate of 17.5, and Virgin Islands with 52 cases and rate of 49.9).
100 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 14. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in 

Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 9,132 9,270 8,377 7,677 7,196 190.1 192.2 173.3 158.3 148.4

Alaska 984 726 1,128 1,341 1,113 136.2 99.3 153.4 182.0 151.1

Arizona 4,564 5,809 6,412 7,750 8,245 70.4 88.6 96.8 115.1 122.5

Arkansas 4,687 4,307 4,007 4,539 4,780 159.5 146.0 135.4 153.0 161.1

California 27,516 33,579 38,166 45,408 54,135 73.0 88.3 99.6 117.0 139.5

Colorado 2,363 2,822 2,820 3,170 4,387 46.2 54.4 53.5 59.2 81.9

Connecticut 2,449 2,133 2,860 2,333 2,088 68.4 59.4 79.5 64.9 58.1

Delaware 827 899 1,390 1,279 1,310 91.2 98.0 150.1 136.7 140.0

District of Columbia 2,569 2,402 2,478 1,883 2,742 415.7 379.9 383.3 285.8 416.2

Florida 19,689 19,462 20,818 20,944 24,125 103.3 100.7 106.5 105.3 121.3

Georgia 16,428 15,326 14,252 13,770 15,982 167.4 154.5 142.6 136.4 158.3

Hawaii 685 815 718 1,020 1,239 49.8 58.5 51.1 71.9 87.3

Idaho 162 167 211 443 472 10.2 10.5 13.1 27.1 28.9

Illinois 17,037 18,149 16,464 15,970 17,130 132.4 141.0 127.8 124.0 133.0

Indiana 6,569 7,338 7,144 7,289 7,843 100.8 112.2 108.7 110.5 118.9

Iowa 1,920 2,006 1,472 1,641 2,247 62.7 65.3 47.6 52.8 72.3

Kansas 2,209 2,228 2,161 2,568 2,536 76.9 77.2 74.7 88.4 87.3

Kentucky 4,521 4,283 4,315 4,353 4,678 103.5 97.8 98.2 98.6 106.0

Louisiana 9,169 8,873 8,669 9,002 10,282 200.4 192.8 187.4 193.6 221.1

Maine 272 456 245 237 417 20.5 34.3 18.4 17.8 31.4

Maryland 6,458 5,686 5,989 6,108 6,858 110.8 96.6 101.0 102.2 114.8

Massachusetts 2,353 2,628 3,106 3,817 3,817 35.7 39.5 46.4 56.6 56.6

Michigan 12,901 12,584 10,569 9,688 10,330 130.6 127.3 106.8 97.8 104.2

Minnesota 2,284 3,082 3,873 4,073 4,097 42.7 57.3 71.5 74.6 75.1

Mississippi 5,814 6,875 5,096 5,625 5,775 195.2 230.3 170.4 187.9 192.9

Missouri 7,802 7,889 7,546 7,387 8,942 129.8 131.0 124.8 121.8 147.5

Montana 85 108 224 434 844 8.5 10.7 22.1 42.4 82.5

Nebraska 1,352 1,429 1,385 1,459 1,703 73.4 77.0 74.1 77.5 90.5

Nevada 2,000 2,264 2,714 3,188 3,630 73.4 82.1 97.3 112.3 127.9

New Hampshire 130 147 121 226 245 9.9 11.1 9.1 17.0 18.5

New Jersey 7,348 7,486 7,014 6,636 7,228 83.3 84.4 78.8 74.2 80.9

New Mexico 1,839 1,883 1,918 2,246 2,489 88.3 90.3 92.0 107.7 119.3

New York 20,706 22,571 19,919 20,758 25,561 106.4 115.3 101.4 105.1 129.4

North Carolina 17,454 14,318 13,666 14,415 19,809 180.8 146.8 138.8 145.0 199.2

North Dakota 251 335 492 694 684 36.7 47.9 68.0 93.8 92.5

Ohio 16,726 16,493 16,619 16,237 16,564 144.9 142.9 143.6 140.0 142.9

Oklahoma 4,215 4,441 5,303 6,137 6,542 111.2 116.4 137.7 158.2 168.7

Oregon 1,489 1,464 1,729 2,320 3,232 38.5 37.5 44.0 58.4 81.4

Pennsylvania 13,770 15,390 13,874 12,710 12,791 108.1 120.6 108.6 99.4 100.0

Rhode Island 360 507 454 590 580 34.2 48.3 43.2 55.9 55.0

South Carolina 8,350 7,638 7,194 8,253 8,206 178.4 161.7 150.7 170.8 169.8

South Dakota 602 707 784 892 1,048 73.1 84.8 92.8 104.6 122.8

Tennessee 7,667 9,098 7,376 7,199 8,386 119.7 140.9 113.5 109.9 128.0

Texas 30,930 32,473 33,835 35,322 39,717 120.5 124.6 127.9 131.0 147.3

Utah 277 479 951 1,441 1,562 9.8 16.8 32.8 49.0 53.1

Vermont 48 99 97 84 155 7.7 15.8 15.5 13.4 24.7

Virginia 6,518 6,885 6,952 8,250 8,099 80.5 84.1 84.2 99.1 97.3

Washington 2,737 3,238 4,369 6,221 7,171 40.1 46.9 62.7 88.1 101.6

West Virginia 796 831 1,063 841 769 42.9 44.8 57.3 45.5 41.6

Wisconsin 4,789 4,704 4,599 4,078 5,260 83.8 82.1 80.1 70.8 91.4

Wyoming 46 44 66 116 175 8.1 7.6 11.3 19.9 30.0

U.S. TOTAL 321,849 334,826 333,004 350,062 395,216 103.3 106.7 105.3 109.8 123.9

Northeast 47,436 51,417 47,690 47,391 52,882 85.4 92.2 85.2 84.4 94.2

Midwest 74,442 76,944 73,108 71,976 78,384 110.8 114.3 108.2 106.2 115.7

South 155,224 153,067 150,780 155,597 175,256 133.8 130.5 127.4 129.9 146.3

West 44,747 53,398 61,426 75,098 88,694 61.4 72.6 82.7 99.9 118.0

Guam 96 92 92 99 147 60.2 57.5 57.4 61.5 91.3

Puerto Rico 341 345 356 454 620 9.2 9.4 9.8 12.8 17.5

Virgin Islands 139 136 58 84 52 131.4 129.2 55.4 80.6 49.9

OUTLYING AREAS 576 573 506 637 819 14.5 14.6 13.0 16.7 21.5

TOTAL 322,425 335,399 333,510 350,699 396,035 102.2 105.5 104.2 108.7 122.7
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 101

Table 15. Gonorrhea Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 5,103 5,187 4,668 4,090 3,629 206.3 208.9 187.6 163.6 145.2

Alaska 515 385 589 665 567 148.2 109.9 168.5 190.3 162.3

Arizona 2,212 2,827 3,102 3,564 3,505 67.9 85.8 93.1 105.2 103.5

Arkansas 2,687 2,432 2,160 2,527 2,510 179.7 162.1 143.4 167.5 166.3

California 10,811 13,045 14,258 16,009 18,404 57.1 68.2 74.0 82.0 94.2

Colorado 1,285 1,362 1,243 1,318 1,832 50.4 52.7 47.4 49.5 68.8

Connecticut 1,378 1,153 1,419 1,108 851 75.1 62.6 77.0 60.1 46.2

Delaware 471 496 763 693 641 100.8 104.9 159.7 143.5 132.7

District of Columbia 1,209 1,006 953 858 874 371.1 301.8 280.1 247.8 252.4

Florida 9,999 9,570 9,718 9,228 10,078 102.7 97.0 97.3 90.7 99.1

Georgia 8,589 7,921 7,060 6,552 7,322 171.4 156.3 138.1 126.7 141.6

Hawaii 273 299 264 350 446 39.9 43.3 38.0 49.9 63.6

Idaho 79 63 87 196 197 10.0 7.9 10.8 24.0 24.1

Illinois 9,500 9,837 8,574 7,559 7,698 144.9 150.1 130.8 115.2 117.4

Indiana 3,690 4,139 3,796 3,819 3,984 111.5 124.7 113.8 114.1 119.0

Iowa 1,217 1,170 812 862 1,122 78.8 75.5 52.2 55.1 71.7

Kansas 1,360 1,339 1,222 1,464 1,262 94.1 92.3 84.2 100.5 86.6

Kentucky 2,596 2,328 2,331 2,270 2,242 117.0 104.7 104.4 101.3 100.1

Louisiana 5,263 5,080 4,927 5,049 5,535 225.3 216.2 208.6 212.5 233.0

Maine 122 240 119 98 143 18.0 35.4 17.5 14.4 21.1

Maryland 3,461 2,878 2,841 2,793 3,090 115.1 94.9 93.0 90.7 100.3

Massachusetts 1,083 1,076 1,168 1,215 1,027 31.9 31.4 33.9 35.0 29.6

Michigan 7,599 7,194 5,865 5,129 5,191 151.1 142.9 116.5 101.7 103.0

Minnesota 1,294 1,676 2,037 1,802 1,675 48.1 61.9 74.7 65.6 61.0

Mississippi 3,344 3,834 2,726 2,987 3,131 218.3 249.7 177.4 194.0 203.4

Missouri 4,195 4,209 3,944 3,620 4,187 136.8 137.1 128.0 117.2 135.5

Montana 51 58 127 221 462 10.3 11.6 25.1 43.4 90.7

Nebraska 823 784 694 770 870 88.7 84.0 73.9 81.5 92.1

Nevada 879 982 1,203 1,294 1,402 65.2 71.8 86.9 91.6 99.3

New Hampshire 59 61 52 91 65 8.8 9.1 7.8 13.6 9.7

New Jersey 3,916 3,798 3,484 3,082 3,110 86.6 83.6 76.5 67.3 68.0

New Mexico 925 857 823 961 1,087 87.9 81.4 78.3 91.3 103.3

New York 9,716 10,021 8,020 7,077 8,593 96.8 99.4 79.3 69.6 84.5

North Carolina 10,076 8,093 7,547 7,759 10,064 203.4 161.9 149.5 152.2 197.4

North Dakota 149 207 301 385 375 44.1 60.2 85.2 106.8 104.0

Ohio 10,009 9,706 9,176 8,735 8,466 169.5 164.5 155.2 147.6 143.0

Oklahoma 2,395 2,652 3,000 3,451 3,580 125.1 137.8 154.4 176.3 182.8

Oregon 602 528 566 786 1,158 30.8 26.8 28.5 39.2 57.7

Pennsylvania 7,687 8,360 7,206 6,164 5,889 117.7 128.0 110.3 94.3 90.1

Rhode Island 167 232 192 218 172 30.8 42.8 35.4 40.1 31.6

South Carolina 4,981 4,416 4,050 4,527 4,401 207.3 182.0 165.2 182.3 177.2

South Dakota 399 446 464 557 621 97.1 107.5 110.3 131.4 146.5

Tennessee 4,112 4,721 3,617 3,419 3,809 125.3 142.7 108.7 101.8 113.5

Texas 16,476 17,151 17,206 17,253 17,843 127.4 130.8 129.4 127.1 131.4

Utah 66 132 373 565 507 4.7 9.3 25.9 38.6 34.7

Vermont 24 54 46 35 85 7.6 17.0 14.5 11.0 26.8

Virginia 3,693 3,734 3,678 4,361 4,007 89.6 89.7 87.6 103.1 94.7

Washington 1,066 1,230 1,704 2,504 2,797 31.2 35.6 48.8 70.9 79.2

West Virginia 467 438 539 461 365 49.7 46.6 57.4 49.2 39.0

Wisconsin 2,907 2,640 2,455 2,046 2,557 101.1 91.6 84.9 70.6 88.2

Wyoming 25 19 39 61 86 9.0 6.7 13.7 21.3 30.1

U.S. TOTAL 171,005 172,066 163,208 162,608 173,514 108.0 107.9 101.7 100.4 107.2

Northeast 24,152 24,995 21,706 19,088 19,935 84.7 87.3 75.6 66.3 69.2

Midwest 43,142 43,347 39,340 36,748 38,008 126.5 126.9 114.8 107.0 110.6

South 84,922 81,937 77,784 78,278 83,121 143.6 137.1 129.0 128.2 136.1

West 18,789 21,787 24,378 28,494 32,450 51.4 59.1 65.5 75.6 86.0

Guam 44 46 43 47 67 56.0 58.4 54.4 59.2 84.4

Puerto Rico 140 157 120 161 259 7.2 8.2 6.4 8.7 14.0

Virgin Islands 94 92 41 54 28 167.3 164.2 73.4 97.1 50.3

OUTLYING AREAS 278 295 204 262 354 13.4 14.4 10.1 13.2 17.9

TOTAL 171,283 172,361 163,412 162,870 173,868 106.8 106.7 100.6 99.4 106.1

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
102 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 16. Gonorrhea Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 3,825 4,034 3,680 3,563 3,519 164.2 172.5 156.9 151.6 149.7

Alaska 469 341 539 676 546 125.0 89.4 139.8 174.5 141.0

Arizona 2,350 2,981 3,310 4,186 4,724 72.9 91.5 100.5 125.2 141.3

Arkansas 1,996 1,873 1,843 2,007 2,270 138.3 129.3 126.8 137.7 155.8

California 16,598 20,431 23,849 29,310 35,644 88.5 108.0 125.1 152.1 185.0

Colorado 1,078 1,460 1,577 1,852 2,555 42.0 56.1 59.6 68.8 94.9

Connecticut 1,071 978 1,440 1,219 1,237 61.4 55.9 82.1 69.5 70.5

Delaware 356 403 627 586 669 80.9 90.7 140.0 129.4 147.8

District of Columbia 1,360 1,386 1,519 1,011 1,817 465.4 463.5 496.0 323.4 581.3

Florida 9,675 9,892 11,049 11,686 14,039 103.8 104.7 115.5 120.2 144.4

Georgia 7,684 7,301 7,075 7,137 8,631 160.0 150.5 144.9 144.9 175.2

Hawaii 412 516 454 669 793 59.7 73.5 64.0 93.2 110.4

Idaho 83 104 124 247 275 10.5 13.0 15.4 30.2 33.6

Illinois 7,513 8,283 7,872 8,386 9,335 119.0 131.1 124.4 132.7 147.7

Indiana 2,867 3,188 3,347 3,465 3,854 89.4 99.1 103.4 106.6 118.6

Iowa 703 836 660 779 1,122 46.3 54.8 43.0 50.5 72.7

Kansas 849 889 939 1,104 1,274 59.5 61.9 65.1 76.3 88.0

Kentucky 1,913 1,948 1,966 2,068 2,430 89.0 90.3 90.9 95.2 111.8

Louisiana 3,739 3,793 3,742 3,953 4,747 167.0 168.4 165.3 173.8 208.8

Maine 150 216 126 137 274 23.1 33.2 19.4 21.0 42.1

Maryland 2,992 2,806 3,145 3,304 3,755 106.1 98.4 109.4 114.1 129.6

Massachusetts 1,269 1,551 1,932 2,590 2,768 39.8 48.2 59.5 79.2 84.6

Michigan 5,281 5,372 4,694 4,551 5,129 109.0 110.8 96.6 93.5 105.4

Minnesota 990 1,395 1,835 2,260 2,420 37.3 52.2 68.1 83.3 89.2

Mississippi 2,470 3,039 2,370 2,637 2,638 170.8 209.7 162.9 181.3 181.4

Missouri 3,607 3,680 3,602 3,767 4,755 122.5 124.7 121.5 126.7 159.9

Montana 34 50 97 213 381 6.8 9.9 19.0 41.4 74.1

Nebraska 528 641 674 686 833 57.7 69.5 72.5 73.2 88.9

Nevada 1,121 1,280 1,509 1,892 2,218 81.6 92.0 107.4 132.6 155.5

New Hampshire 71 86 69 135 180 10.9 13.2 10.6 20.6 27.5

New Jersey 3,400 3,673 3,514 3,544 4,108 79.1 85.0 80.9 81.2 94.2

New Mexico 914 1,025 1,095 1,284 1,401 88.7 99.3 105.9 124.3 135.6

New York 10,977 12,529 11,844 13,624 16,893 116.4 132.0 124.2 142.2 176.3

North Carolina 7,300 6,180 6,113 6,652 9,744 155.2 130.0 127.3 137.3 201.1

North Dakota 101 127 191 309 309 29.2 35.7 51.6 81.5 81.5

Ohio 6,717 6,787 7,443 7,502 8,098 119.1 120.3 131.5 132.2 142.7

Oklahoma 1,708 1,789 2,303 2,685 2,962 91.0 94.7 120.7 139.8 154.3

Oregon 887 936 1,163 1,532 2,073 46.3 48.5 59.8 78.0 105.5

Pennsylvania 6,078 7,025 6,659 6,543 6,892 97.8 112.8 106.7 104.6 110.2

Rhode Island 193 275 262 372 408 38.0 54.1 51.4 72.7 79.8

South Carolina 3,351 3,196 3,133 3,689 3,781 147.2 139.1 134.9 157.0 160.9

South Dakota 202 259 320 335 427 48.9 61.9 75.4 78.0 99.5

Tennessee 3,555 4,368 3,758 3,778 4,577 113.9 138.7 118.7 118.4 143.4

Texas 14,448 15,286 16,410 18,035 21,792 113.4 118.1 124.8 134.8 162.8

Utah 211 347 578 876 1,055 14.9 24.2 39.6 59.2 71.3

Vermont 24 45 51 49 70 7.8 14.6 16.5 15.9 22.7

Virginia 2,814 3,145 3,272 3,879 4,085 70.8 78.2 80.5 94.7 99.7

Washington 1,671 2,008 2,665 3,717 4,374 49.0 58.3 76.5 105.3 123.9

West Virginia 329 393 524 380 404 36.0 42.9 57.2 41.6 44.2

Wisconsin 1,880 2,064 2,140 2,027 2,697 66.3 72.6 75.0 70.9 94.3

Wyoming 21 25 27 55 88 7.2 8.5 9.1 18.5 29.5

U.S. TOTAL 149,835 162,235 169,130 186,943 221,070 97.7 105.0 108.7 119.1 140.9

Northeast 23,233 26,378 25,897 28,213 32,830 86.1 97.2 95.1 103.2 120.0

Midwest 31,238 33,521 33,717 35,171 40,253 94.5 101.1 101.3 105.3 120.5

South 69,515 70,832 72,529 77,050 91,860 122.2 123.2 124.9 131.2 156.4

West 25,849 31,504 36,987 46,509 56,127 71.1 85.9 99.9 124.1 149.8

Guam 52 46 49 52 80 64.2 56.7 60.2 63.7 98.0

Puerto Rico 201 188 236 293 359 11.3 10.7 13.6 17.2 21.1

Virgin Islands 45 44 17 30 24 90.7 89.3 34.8 61.8 49.4

OUTLYING AREAS 298 278 302 375 463 15.6 14.7 16.2 20.4 25.2

TOTAL 150,133 162,513 169,432 187,318 221,533 96.7 103.9 107.6 118.0 139.5

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 103

Table 17. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 8,577 8,299 5,452 7,256 6,471 159.5 152.1 98.7 129.2 115.3

Austin-Round Rock, TX 2,009 2,204 2,570 2,860 3,199 112.6 120.2 136.5 147.2 164.6

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 3,634 2,974 3,233 3,459 4,179 133.2 108.0 116.7 124.2 150.0

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 2,550 2,340 2,130 1,957 2,088 225.2 205.9 186.8 171.1 182.6

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,671 1,995 2,372 2,716 2,487 36.4 43.0 50.6 57.4 52.6

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 1,543 2,172 1,232 1,342 1,982 136.1 191.5 108.6 118.1 174.4

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3,832 3,172 3,058 3,645 4,673 169.7 138.1 130.9 153.1 196.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 13,188 14,304 12,793 12,630 13,529 138.8 150.2 134.1 132.2 141.6

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 3,515 3,227 3,229 3,346 3,713 165.6 151.6 151.1 155.7 172.7

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 3,930 4,203 4,155 3,802 3,428 190.0 203.7 201.2 184.2 166.1

Columbus, OH 3,038 2,859 3,220 3,260 3,676 157.9 147.1 163.7 163.4 184.3

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8,743 7,842 8,354 9,195 11,334 132.8 117.0 122.7 132.2 163.0

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,662 2,055 1,828 2,016 2,838 63.9 77.7 67.8 73.2 103.0

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 8,924 8,062 6,564 5,311 5,494 208.2 187.8 152.8 123.6 127.9

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,036 744 1,065 894 726 85.4 61.3 87.6 73.6 59.8

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 6,861 7,582 7,783 8,299 9,290 113.2 122.7 123.3 127.9 143.1

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 3,128 3,738 3,616 3,759 3,716 163.8 193.8 185.1 190.7 188.5

Jacksonville, FL 2,040 1,948 2,321 2,608 2,740 150.0 141.4 166.4 183.8 193.1

Kansas City, MO-KS 2,913 2,919 2,696 2,642 2,943 143.7 143.2 131.2 127.6 142.1

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,740 1,968 2,256 2,653 2,975 88.3 98.4 111.2 128.2 143.7

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 11,105 13,102 14,449 17,130 19,867 85.8 100.4 110.0 129.2 149.8

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 2,400 2,040 2,063 1,962 2,187 192.7 163.0 163.4 154.5 172.2

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 3,852 4,498 3,086 2,625 3,143 288.7 335.2 230.0 195.4 234.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,352 5,291 5,801 6,128 6,905 94.4 91.8 99.5 103.3 116.4

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 3,349 3,277 3,179 2,584 3,719 214.4 209.1 202.5 164.4 236.5

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,889 2,534 3,188 3,341 3,289 55.8 74.0 92.2 95.6 94.1

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 1,681 1,900 1,806 1,922 2,200 99.0 110.0 102.7 107.2 122.7

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 2,099 2,198 2,448 2,667 2,929 173.1 179.1 197.3 213.0 234.0

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 21,153 21,310 19,319 20,054 23,721 107.4 107.5 96.8 99.8 118.1

Oklahoma City, OK 1,845 1,947 2,352 2,366 2,403 144.4 150.2 178.2 177.0 179.8

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2,277 2,328 2,514 2,571 3,073 104.9 104.7 110.9 110.8 132.4

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 10,123 11,026 10,557 9,618 9,724 168.9 183.2 174.9 158.9 160.7

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 3,340 4,526 4,918 5,944 6,495 78.3 104.5 111.8 132.4 144.7

Pittsburgh, PA 2,473 3,048 2,827 2,602 2,422 104.8 129.1 119.7 110.4 102.8

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,318 1,183 1,199 1,499 2,386 58.3 51.7 51.8 63.8 101.6

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 475 643 593 913 834 29.7 40.2 37.0 56.7 51.8

Raleigh, NC 1,606 1,532 1,384 1,408 2,018 138.0 128.9 114.0 113.3 162.4

Richmond, VA 1,419 1,671 1,658 2,173 2,200 116.4 135.6 133.1 172.5 174.6

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 2,330 3,031 3,273 4,292 4,904 54.1 69.7 74.7 96.6 110.4

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 1,913 2,324 2,597 2,616 3,317 87.9 105.8 117.2 116.6 147.8

Salt Lake City, UT 197 342 690 1,026 1,078 17.8 30.4 60.5 89.0 93.5

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 3,731 3,672 3,352 3,155 4,160 170.0 164.4 147.2 135.5 178.6

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2,173 2,620 2,825 3,420 3,691 69.2 82.5 88.0 104.8 113.1

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,009 5,263 5,681 7,110 9,330 114.1 118.1 125.8 154.8 203.1

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 680 1,020 1,145 1,552 1,857 36.5 53.8 59.6 79.5 95.1

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,971 2,323 2,990 3,931 4,766 56.3 65.4 82.8 107.1 129.8

St. Louis, MO-IL 5,014 4,810 4,492 4,346 5,257 179.6 172.0 160.4 154.9 187.3

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 3,655 3,422 3,660 3,455 3,916 129.4 120.4 127.5 118.5 134.3

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 2,813 2,630 2,581 3,206 3,300 166.9 154.7 151.2 186.8 192.2

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,503 5,369 5,616 2,974 3,008 95.6 91.6 94.4 49.3 49.9

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 197,279 205,487 202,170 212,240 239,580 116.4 120.0 117.0 121.4 137.0

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
104 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 18. Gonorrhea Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,141 3,907 2,458 3,030 2,578 150.2 139.4 86.5 104.7 89.1

Austin-Round Rock, TX 935 993 1,078 1,213 1,039 105.1 108.5 114.8 124.9 107.0

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,941 1,527 1,542 1,608 1,964 137.2 107.1 107.5 111.5 136.2

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1,417 1,280 1,099 970 999 241.6 217.3 186.0 163.4 168.3

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 730 738 828 844 601 30.8 30.9 34.3 34.7 24.7

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 828 1,173 594 664 959 141.3 200.4 101.6 113.4 163.8

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 2,117 1,778 1,700 1,962 2,419 182.6 150.7 141.7 160.2 197.6

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,015 7,464 6,374 5,662 5,696 144.4 153.4 130.9 115.9 116.6

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,264 2,051 1,932 1,913 2,020 208.8 188.7 177.1 174.3 184.1

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 2,371 2,426 2,328 2,021 1,745 220.9 226.7 217.6 189.2 163.3

Columbus, OH 1,561 1,514 1,500 1,473 1,638 159.5 153.2 150.0 145.3 161.6

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,653 4,157 3,921 4,153 4,963 139.6 122.5 113.6 117.5 140.4

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 885 965 724 780 1,096 67.8 72.7 53.5 56.4 79.3

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 5,114 4,406 3,614 2,698 2,592 231.6 199.3 163.5 122.0 117.2

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 596 422 543 425 310 95.8 67.7 87.2 68.3 49.8

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,803 4,039 4,033 4,151 4,113 124.9 130.2 127.2 127.2 126.0

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 1,674 1,957 1,761 1,828 1,791 171.5 198.5 176.4 181.3 177.6

Jacksonville, FL 1,121 983 1,121 1,288 1,237 160.6 139.1 156.7 176.9 169.9

Kansas City, MO-KS 1,592 1,585 1,424 1,361 1,409 153.9 152.4 136.0 128.9 133.5

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 742 847 1,015 1,039 1,129 75.8 85.1 100.5 100.5 109.2

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,944 4,359 4,578 5,029 5,778 60.2 65.9 68.9 74.8 85.9

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,375 1,096 1,079 992 1,012 215.6 171.2 167.0 152.6 155.7

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 2,192 2,418 1,550 1,371 1,469 315.9 346.6 222.0 196.0 210.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,361 2,198 2,225 2,123 2,252 80.9 74.1 74.2 69.5 73.8

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,980 1,814 1,655 1,298 1,850 247.0 225.5 205.5 160.8 229.2

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,035 1,322 1,641 1,388 1,229 60.4 76.4 93.8 78.6 69.6

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 776 858 838 790 888 89.3 97.1 93.1 86.0 96.7

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,131 1,186 1,317 1,339 1,423 181.6 187.9 206.1 207.2 220.2

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 9,826 9,157 7,615 6,544 7,349 96.5 89.3 73.9 63.1 70.8

Oklahoma City, OK 1,034 1,081 1,305 1,310 1,267 159.7 164.6 195.1 193.2 186.9

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,090 1,087 1,114 1,109 1,254 98.4 95.8 96.3 93.4 105.7

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,361 5,581 5,052 4,461 4,277 173.0 179.3 162.0 142.7 136.8

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,568 2,118 2,318 2,658 2,708 73.2 97.3 104.8 117.6 119.9

Pittsburgh, PA 1,501 1,857 1,715 1,415 1,239 123.2 152.6 141.1 116.8 102.2

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 482 393 325 382 764 42.1 33.9 27.8 32.2 64.3

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 232 294 261 325 260 28.1 35.6 31.6 39.2 31.3

Raleigh, NC 868 807 677 638 857 145.7 132.7 108.9 100.2 134.6

Richmond, VA 797 908 957 1,194 1,141 126.6 142.6 148.7 183.4 175.3

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,196 1,562 1,576 1,966 2,208 55.3 71.5 71.7 88.1 98.9

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 990 1,212 1,323 1,246 1,538 89.3 108.2 117.0 108.8 134.2

Salt Lake City, UT 41 88 263 376 325 7.4 15.8 46.4 65.5 56.6

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 1,835 1,865 1,624 1,445 1,785 164.4 164.5 140.7 122.4 151.2

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 609 847 827 1,038 1,018 39.0 53.6 51.8 63.9 62.7

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,531 1,493 1,491 1,836 2,101 68.9 66.2 65.2 78.9 90.2

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 243 372 446 557 642 26.2 39.5 46.7 57.4 66.1

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 649 732 988 1,412 1,662 37.0 41.1 54.7 76.9 90.5

St. Louis, MO-IL 2,699 2,467 2,313 2,087 2,436 187.4 171.1 160.2 144.3 168.4

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,887 1,701 1,774 1,619 1,676 129.7 116.1 119.8 107.6 111.4

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 1,563 1,402 1,341 1,711 1,701 182.0 162.3 154.7 196.4 195.2

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,709 2,355 2,278 1,163 1,064 91.8 78.4 74.8 37.7 34.5

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 99,005 98,842 92,055 89,905 95,471 114.5 113.1 104.4 100.7 107.0

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 105

Table 19. Gonorrhea Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,343 4,329 2,952 4,177 3,885 165.7 163.1 110.1 153.5 142.7

Austin-Round Rock, TX 1,073 1,196 1,295 1,635 2,144 120.1 130.1 137.2 168.2 220.5

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,690 1,447 1,690 1,840 2,202 128.5 109.0 126.4 137.0 163.9

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1,094 1,057 1,029 979 1,075 200.5 193.0 187.3 177.9 195.4

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 940 1,257 1,541 1,870 1,881 42.3 55.9 67.8 81.4 81.9

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 715 999 638 678 1,023 130.5 182.1 116.2 123.1 185.7

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,704 1,384 1,356 1,683 2,251 155.1 123.9 119.4 145.6 194.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,150 6,819 6,407 6,947 7,780 132.3 146.4 137.3 148.7 166.6

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 1,250 1,176 1,297 1,431 1,693 120.4 112.9 123.9 136.0 160.9

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 1,559 1,777 1,827 1,781 1,683 156.7 178.9 183.6 178.9 169.1

Columbus, OH 1,477 1,345 1,720 1,787 2,038 156.2 140.8 177.9 182.2 207.8

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,089 3,682 4,426 5,033 6,357 125.9 111.4 131.8 147.1 185.9

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 777 1,090 1,104 1,236 1,742 60.0 82.8 82.1 90.1 126.9

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 3,794 3,642 2,942 2,606 2,894 182.6 175.0 141.2 125.0 138.8

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 440 322 522 466 416 74.5 54.5 88.1 78.7 70.3

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,055 3,543 3,749 4,146 5,167 101.3 115.2 119.3 128.5 160.1

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 1,447 1,772 1,854 1,927 1,920 155.0 187.9 194.0 200.1 199.4

Jacksonville, FL 919 965 1,198 1,316 1,501 138.8 143.8 176.3 190.5 217.2

Kansas City, MO-KS 1,321 1,334 1,272 1,281 1,534 133.1 133.6 126.2 126.1 151.0

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 998 1,119 1,239 1,612 1,837 100.7 111.3 121.8 155.6 177.3

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,124 8,712 9,849 12,071 14,066 111.5 135.2 151.9 184.7 215.2

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,020 940 969 961 1,170 167.9 153.8 157.2 155.1 188.8

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 1,660 2,080 1,536 1,254 1,674 259.2 323.0 238.6 194.8 260.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,987 3,093 3,564 3,999 4,651 108.5 110.6 125.9 139.0 161.7

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,368 1,463 1,521 1,281 1,864 179.9 191.8 199.0 167.4 243.6

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 854 1,209 1,546 1,942 2,058 51.0 71.5 90.4 112.4 119.1

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 905 1,034 968 1,130 1,312 109.1 122.6 112.8 129.3 150.1

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 962 1,012 1,131 1,328 1,506 163.0 169.8 187.9 219.2 248.6

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,291 12,124 11,639 13,448 16,290 118.7 126.5 120.6 138.4 167.7

Oklahoma City, OK 775 866 1,047 1,056 1,136 122.9 135.3 160.8 160.3 172.4

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,186 1,241 1,399 1,461 1,818 111.5 114.0 126.0 128.8 160.2

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4,756 5,439 5,501 5,152 5,439 164.4 187.1 188.7 176.2 186.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,770 2,407 2,600 3,286 3,780 83.4 111.8 118.9 147.4 169.5

Pittsburgh, PA 971 1,191 1,110 1,187 1,182 85.1 104.1 96.9 103.7 103.3

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 836 790 874 1,116 1,621 74.8 69.8 76.4 96.2 139.7

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 243 349 331 587 572 31.4 45.0 42.6 75.3 73.3

Raleigh, NC 735 724 707 770 1,161 129.4 124.8 119.2 127.0 191.5

Richmond, VA 617 761 701 978 1,058 104.7 127.8 116.4 160.6 173.7

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,126 1,467 1,695 2,321 2,692 52.5 67.7 77.7 105.0 121.8

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 917 1,104 1,271 1,362 1,771 85.9 102.6 117.1 124.0 161.2

Salt Lake City, UT 156 254 427 650 753 28.0 44.9 74.5 112.3 130.0

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 1,896 1,807 1,728 1,710 2,375 175.8 164.3 153.9 149.0 206.9

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,552 1,766 1,995 2,354 2,668 98.4 110.6 123.6 143.5 162.7

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,454 3,746 4,167 5,261 7,201 159.4 170.4 186.9 232.2 317.8

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 430 626 699 995 1,212 45.9 65.8 72.4 101.3 123.4

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,322 1,591 2,002 2,519 3,104 75.7 89.9 111.1 137.3 169.2

St. Louis, MO-IL 2,315 2,340 2,178 2,256 2,802 171.2 172.8 160.5 166.0 206.1

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,761 1,721 1,871 1,823 2,240 128.6 124.9 134.6 129.2 158.8

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 1,248 1,226 1,239 1,489 1,595 151.0 146.7 147.5 176.2 188.7

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,791 3,001 3,330 1,811 1,943 99.4 105.0 114.6 61.4 65.9

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 97,863 106,339 109,653 121,989 143,737 118.0 126.8 129.5 142.5 167.9

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
106 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 20. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties and Independent 

Cities* Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015

Rank* County/Independent City Cases Rate per 100,000 Population Cumulative Percentage

1 Los Angeles County, CA 17,563 173.6 4

2 Cook County, IL 11,082 211.2 7

3 Harris County, TX 7,707 173.5 9

4 Philadelphia County, PA 6,260 401.2 10

5 Maricopa County, AZ 6,192 151.5 12

6 New York County, NY 5,486 335.3 13

7 Dallas County, TX 5,410 214.8 15

8 Kings County, NY 4,972 189.6 16

9 San Francisco County, CA 4,470 524.4 17

10 Wayne County, MI 4,217 239.0 18

11 Bexar County, TX 3,933 211.9 19

12 San Diego County, CA 3,691 113.1 20

13 Milwaukee County, WI 3,602 376.6 21

14 Bronx County, NY 3,589 249.6 22

15 Franklin County, OH 3,217 261.2 23

16 Marion County, IN 3,215 344.1 23

17 Tarrant County, TX 3,092 158.9 24

18 Broward County, FL 3,036 162.4 25

19 Cuyahoga County, OH 3,028 240.4 26

20 Clark County, NV 2,975 143.7 27

21 Mecklenburg County, NC 2,950 291.3 27

22 King County, WA 2,915 140.1 28

23 Sacramento County, CA 2,869 193.6 29

24 Alameda County, CA 2,842 176.4 29

25 San Bernardino County, CA 2,743 129.8 30

26 Hamilton County, OH 2,712 336.2 31

27 Miami-Dade County, FL 2,593 97.4 31

28 Shelby County, TN 2,560 272.7 32

29 Baltimore (City), MD 2,503 401.9 33

30 Queens County, NY 2,487 107.1 33

31 Travis County, TX 2,459 213.6 34

32 Duval County, FL 2,326 259.1 35

33 Orange County, CA 2,304 73.2 35

34 Fulton County, GA 2,244 225.2 36

35 Orange County, FL 2,196 175.3 36

36 Riverside County, CA 2,161 92.8 37

37 Hillsborough County, FL 2,056 156.2 37

38 St. Louis County, MO 2,030 202.6 38

39 Hennepin County, MN 2,008 165.7 38

40 St. Louis (City), MO 1,964 618.7 39

41 Allegheny County, PA 1,946 158.1 39

42 Jefferson County, KY 1,886 248.1 40

43 Jackson County, MO 1,882 275.5 40

44 Oklahoma County, OK 1,846 240.9 41

45 Guilford County, NC 1,839 359.1 41

46 Essex County, NJ 1,820 228.7 42

47 Monroe County, NY 1,782 237.6 42

48 Santa Clara County, CA 1,781 94.0 43

49 Jefferson County, AL 1,767 267.4 43

50 Fresno County, CA 1,763 182.5 44

51 Erie County, NY 1,720 186.4 44

52 Wake County, NC 1,690 169.2 44

53 Orleans Parish, LA 1,668 434.0 45

54 Tulsa County, OK 1,595 253.3 45

55 Multnomah County, OR 1,557 200.5 46

56 Kern County, CA 1,548 177.0 46

57 Collin County, TX 1,548 174.9 46

58 Denver County, CO 1,526 229.9 47

59 Davidson County, TN 1,512 226.2 47

60 Pinellas County, FL 1,436 153.1 48

61 Pierce County, WA 1,354 162.8 48

62 Contra Costa County, CA 1,318 118.6 48

63 Prince George's County, MD 1,282 141.7 49

64 Palm Beach County, FL 1,276 91.3 49

65 East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 1,256 281.6 49

66 San Joaquin County, CA 1,245 174.0 49

67 Cumberland County, NC 1,242 380.6 50

68 Pulaski County, AR 1,234 314.2 50

69 Forsyth County, NC 1,215 332.6 50

70 DeKalb County, GA 1,210 167.6 51

* The top 70 counties and independent cities ranked in descending order by number of cases reported in 2015 then by rate are displayed.
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 107

Table 21. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Age Group and Sex, 

United States, 2011–2015

Age Cases Rates per 100,000 Population*

Group Total Male Female Unknown Sex Total Male Female

0–4 182 43 136 3 0.9 0.4 1.4

2011

5–9 82 15 66 1 0.4 0.1 0.7

10–14 3,223 548 2,648 27 15.6 5.2 26.2

15–19 88,139 28,102 59,747 290 407.2 252.7 567.7

20–24 111,730 49,633 61,756 341 504.3 438.7 569.6

25–29 53,245 28,288 24,821 136 250.2 262.9 236.0

30–34 27,157 16,044 11,044 69 132.4 156.0 108.0

35–39 14,109 8,972 5,096 41 72.0 91.9 51.8

40–44 9,686 6,955 2,708 23 46.1 66.5 25.6

45–54 10,473 8,222 2,222 29 23.4 37.3 9.8

55–64 2,747 2,270 471 6 7.2 12.4 2.4

65+ 587 485 99 3 1.4 2.7 0.4

Unknown Age 489 258 191 40

TOTAL 321,849 149,835 171,005 1,009 103.3 97.7 108.0

0–4 198 72 122 4 1.0 0.7 1.2

2012

5–9 68 16 52 0 0.3 0.2 0.5

10–14 3,136 573 2,559 4 15.2 5.4 25.3

15–19 81,548 26,578 54,852 118 381.8 242.4 527.5

20–24 115,224 52,351 62,711 162 510.2 453.3 568.4

25–29 58,441 31,631 26,722 88 273.1 291.7 253.2

30–34 31,420 18,936 12,436 48 150.3 180.4 119.4

35–39 16,193 10,493 5,670 30 83.1 108.0 58.0

40–44 10,965 7,858 3,089 18 52.1 75.1 29.2

45–54 12,383 9,773 2,594 16 28.0 44.8 11.5

55–64 3,230 2,642 586 2 8.4 14.2 2.9

65+ 644 537 105 2 1.5 2.9 0.4

Unknown Age 1,376 775 568 33

TOTAL 334,826 162,235 172,066 525 106.7 105.0 107.9

0–4 172 60 111 1 0.9 0.6 1.1

2013

5–9 75 11 64 0 0.4 0.1 0.6

10–14 2,637 508 2,122 7 12.8 4.8 21.0

15–19 72,092 24,212 47,749 131 340.7 223.2 463.0

20–24 113,035 53,055 59,760 220 495.9 454.3 537.6

25–29 62,102 34,718 27,266 118 287.8 316.8 256.7

30–34 34,065 20,855 13,143 67 160.2 195.2 124.2

35–39 18,034 11,850 6,145 39 92.0 121.1 62.6

40–44 11,817 8,590 3,192 35 56.7 82.9 30.4

45–54 13,823 11,087 2,714 22 31.6 51.4 12.2

55–64 3,802 3,176 621 5 9.7 16.8 3.1

65+ 825 696 128 1 1.8 3.6 0.5

Unknown Age 525 312 193 20

TOTAL 333,004 169,130 163,208 666 105.3 108.7 101.7

0–4 154 47 105 2 0.8 0.5 1.1

2014

5–9 53 7 46 0 0.3 0.1 0.5

10–14 2,450 440 2,005 5 11.9 4.2 19.8

15–19 68,468 23,981 44,399 88 325.0 222.4 431.7

20–24 116,200 56,714 59,329 157 507.2 483.1 531.0

25-29 69,587 40,602 28,899 86 316.5 363.8 266.9

30–34 38,393 24,349 13,988 56 178.3 225.3 130.5

35–39 20,803 14,129 6,654 20 104.4 142.1 66.7

40–44 12,687 9,349 3,320 18 61.6 91.5 32.0

45–54 15,322 12,388 2,917 17 35.3 57.8 13.2

55–64 4,549 3,859 680 10 11.4 20.0 3.3

65+ 911 790 121 0 2.0 3.9 0.5

Unknown Age 485 288 145 52

TOTAL 350,062 186,943 162,608 511 109.8 119.1 100.4

0–4 148 47 98 3 0.7 0.5 1.0

2015

5–9 78 11 66 1 0.4 0.1 0.7

10–14 2,312 385 1,923 4 11.2 3.6 19.0

15–19 72,001 26,401 45,477 123 341.8 244.8 442.2

20–24 124,592 63,289 61,105 198 543.8 539.1 546.9

25–29 82,867 50,089 32,662 116 376.9 448.8 301.7

30–34 45,681 29,751 15,867 63 212.2 275.2 148.0

35–39 26,137 18,198 7,897 42 131.2 183.1 79.1

40–44 15,042 11,116 3,898 28 73.0 108.8 37.6

45–54 18,779 15,379 3,375 25 43.2 71.8 15.3

55–64 6,035 5,175 849 11 15.1 26.8 4.1

65+ 1,191 1,032 158 1 2.6 5.1 0.6

Unknown Age 353 197 139 17

TOTAL 395,216 221,070 173,514 632 123.9 140.9 107.2

* No population data are available for unknown sex and age; therefore, rates are not calculated.

NOTE: This table should be used only for age comparisons. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission.
108 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 22A. Gonorrhea — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex,

United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 3 1 2 2 1 1 42 8 34 0 0 0

5–9 3 0 3 0 0 0 23 3 20 0 0 0

10–14 33 3 30 7 1 6 1,226 230 996 6 1 5

15–19 718 209 508 373 172 201 36,338 13,593 22,716 114 38 76

20–24 1,326 481 845 1,014 667 346 58,840 29,089 29,704 202 103 99

25–29 1,109 467 642 903 699 203 33,802 20,555 13,226 152 106 46

30–34 648 261 387 624 478 146 15,932 10,739 5,183 97 61 36

35–39 309 132 177 365 282 81 8,456 6,158 2,292 49 34 15

40–44 172 70 102 247 200 47 4,488 3,501 982 23 16 6

45–54 150 84 66 232 195 37 5,311 4,538 772 17 14 3

55–64 43 31 12 56 37 19 1,825 1,648 176 6 5 1

65+ 12 10 2 17 14 3 278 256 22 3 2 1

Unknown Age 2 1 1 4 2 2 69 38 30 2 2 0

TOTAL 4,528 1,750 2,777 3,844 2,748 1,092 166,630 90,356 76,153 671 382 288

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics Other/

Unknown

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 30 11 19 2 1 1 15 5 10 51 19 29

5–9 18 4 14 0 0 0 7 2 5 27 2 24

10–14 270 22 247 17 1 16 190 34 155 529 90 437

15–19 10,886 3,234 7,648 585 131 454 6,986 2,643 4,331 15,551 6,224 9,262

20–24 23,443 11,381 12,051 976 483 491 13,622 7,587 6,009 24,441 13,078 11,265

25–29 19,426 10,978 8,436 695 463 229 10,107 6,633 3,465 16,030 9,705 6,264

30–34 12,498 7,648 4,846 372 287 83 5,905 4,078 1,814 9,254 5,917 3,308

35–39 7,308 4,906 2,396 225 195 30 3,424 2,483 937 5,803 3,832 1,952

40–44 4,497 3,260 1,235 123 109 14 1,850 1,388 459 3,531 2,469 1,047

45–54 6,360 5,276 1,082 167 160 7 1,908 1,558 347 4,485 3,426 1,043

55–64 2,102 1,828 273 23 23 0 406 319 87 1,523 1,239 277

65+ 445 390 55 5 5 0 52 38 14 370 308 61

Unknown Age 57 28 29 0 0 0 41 26 15 163 90 57

TOTAL 87,340 48,966 38,331 3,190 1,858 1,325 44,513 26,794 17,648 81,758 46,399 35,026

* Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 21 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 14–16 for total and sex-specific 

cases and rates. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission.
STD Surveillance 2015 Gonorrhea Tables 109

Table 22B. Gonorrhea — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population by Race/Ethnicity, Age 

Group, and Sex, United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 1.8 1.2 2.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.5 0.6 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0

5–9 1.7 0.0 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.2 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 18.6 3.3 34.4 0.7 0.2 1.2 43.3 16.0 71.4 15.2 4.9 25.9

15–19 393.8 225.0 567.9 37.6 34.3 41.0 1,218.5 897.8 1,547.3 284.7 183.6 393.0

20–24 656.5 464.8 857.8 82.7 107.2 57.3 1,721.9 1,681.5 1,760.5 420.7 417.7 424.0

25–29 627.8 521.7 736.8 64.3 102.2 28.1 1,145.8 1,415.0 883.3 302.3 408.2 189.2

30–34 402.2 325.8 477.8 43.3 70.5 19.1 582.8 819.6 364.1 204.3 249.3 156.4

35–39 213.6 183.6 243.3 26.7 44.3 11.1 336.3 517.7 173.0 121.4 163.9 76.4

40–44 118.1 97.7 137.8 17.9 31.1 6.4 174.3 289.1 72.0 62.7 86.6 33.0

45–54 47.8 55.3 40.8 10.1 18.2 3.0 100.5 182.9 27.6 25.0 41.3 8.8

55–64 16.0 24.5 8.5 3.0 4.4 1.9 41.1 81.3 7.3 11.7 19.8 3.8

65+ 5.2 9.6 1.6 0.9 1.7 0.3 7.0 16.1 0.9 7.1 10.1 4.4

Unknown Age

TOTAL 192.8 151.2 233.2 22.9 34.5 12.4 424.9 482.2 371.9 123.0 138.7 106.7

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.4

5–9 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2

10–14 2.5 0.4 4.6 2.3 0.3 4.3 3.9 1.4 6.5

15–19 94.4 54.6 136.4 88.2 39.0 138.7 150.6 111.2 191.5

20–24 185.8 176.1 195.8 170.4 170.0 170.1 285.5 305.1 263.0

25–29 156.0 173.6 137.6 160.6 224.5 101.1 227.7 282.8 165.5

30–34 101.8 123.5 79.7 100.0 163.7 42.2 133.4 176.4 85.9

35–39 64.3 85.6 42.5 73.0 134.7 18.4 83.0 117.0 46.7

40–44 36.6 52.8 20.2 44.5 83.7 9.6 48.0 71.0 24.2

45–54 22.2 37.1 7.5 34.7 70.1 2.8 30.2 48.8 11.1

55–64 7.3 12.9 1.8 6.2 12.9 0.0 10.0 16.3 4.2

65+ 1.2 2.4 0.3 1.5 3.5 0.0 1.5 2.5 0.7

Unknown Age

TOTAL 44.2 50.3 38.2 50.0 59.3 40.9 80.5 95.8 64.6

* Includes 50 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 21 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 14–16 for total and sex-specific 

cases and rates. Cases in the 0–4 age group may include cases due to perinatal transmission. No population data exist for unknown sex, unknown age, or unknown 

race; therefore rates are not calculated.
110 Gonorrhea Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 23. Gonorrhea Among Women Aged 15–24 Years — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported 

Cases by Age, United States, 2011–2015

Age Cases Rate per 100,000 Population

2011

15 4,466 220.3

16 8,128 393.4

17 12,308 584.7

18 16,973 796.3

19 17,872 814.3

20 16,865 750.6

21 14,559 647.9

22 12,202 565.4

23 9,861 467.2

24 8,269 397.9

2012

15 4,241 209.4

16 7,316 359.4

17 11,006 530.2

18 15,580 736.2

19 16,709 779.1

20 15,849 717.5

21 15,029 664.7

22 12,800 565.9

23 10,449 480.6

24 8,584 403.4

2013

15 3,776 186.4

16 6,503 320.0

17 9,374 458.8

18 13,393 642.4

19 14,703 691.2

20 14,420 668.8

21 13,394 603.1

22 12,272 539.6

23 10,819 475.3

24 8,855 404.5

2014

15 3,487 171.3

16 6,188 303.9

17 8,830 431.6

18 12,196 591.9

19 13,698 650.5

20 13,801 642.1

21 13,324 611.5

22 12,031 536.0

23 10,746 467.5

24 9,427 409.6

2015

15 3,477 170.8

16 6,090 299.1

17 9,117 445.6

18 12,769 619.7

19 14,024 666.0

20 13,835 643.7

21 13,331 611.8

22 12,597 561.2

23 11,271 490.3

24 10,071 437.6

NOTE: This table should be used only for age comparisons. Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 111

Table 24. All Stages of Syphilis* — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 758 705 679 475 657 15.8 14.6 14.0 9.8 13.5

Alaska 11 34 35 45 24 1.5 4.6 4.8 6.1 3.3

Arizona 907 787 962 1,459 1,496 14.0 12.0 14.5 21.7 22.2

Arkansas 464 468 527 390 500 15.8 15.9 17.8 13.1 16.9

California 6,782 8,016 9,973 11,443 14,450 18.0 21.1 26.0 29.5 37.2

Colorado 367 503 475 355 553 7.2 9.7 9.0 6.6 10.3

Connecticut 189 121 133 169 220 5.3 3.4 3.7 4.7 6.1

Delaware 124 106 146 110 110 13.7 11.6 15.8 11.8 11.8

District of Columbia 552 589 609 281 322 89.3 93.1 94.2 42.6 48.9

Florida 4,143 4,483 5,022 6,103 7,132 21.7 23.2 25.7 30.7 35.9

Georgia 1,895 2,434 2,990 3,384 4,156 19.3 24.5 29.9 33.5 41.2

Hawaii 32 43 87 106 163 2.3 3.1 6.2 7.5 11.5

Idaho 42 54 42 46 102 2.6 3.4 2.6 2.8 6.2

Illinois 2,426 2,424 2,661 2,796 3,289 18.9 18.8 20.7 21.7 25.5

Indiana 468 531 543 475 699 7.2 8.1 8.3 7.2 10.6

Iowa 70 143 226 239 232 2.3 4.7 7.3 7.7 7.5

Kansas 76 129 196 200 240 2.6 4.5 6.8 6.9 8.3

Kentucky 335 390 395 447 433 7.7 8.9 9.0 10.1 9.8

Louisiana 2,043 1,780 2,006 2,173 2,465 44.7 38.7 43.4 46.7 53.0

Maine 24 22 21 23 38 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.7 2.9

Maryland 1,278 1,243 1,361 1,475 1,870 21.9 21.1 23.0 24.7 31.3

Massachusetts 770 806 990 813 1,263 11.7 12.1 14.8 12.1 18.7

Michigan 764 786 1,068 1,095 1,089 7.7 8.0 10.8 11.0 11.0

Minnesota 367 335 541 631 653 6.9 6.2 10.0 11.6 12.0

Mississippi 748 456 293 642 760 25.1 15.3 9.8 21.4 25.4

Missouri 414 426 609 771 777 6.9 7.1 10.1 12.7 12.8

Montana 9 3 8 9 20 0.9 0.3 0.8 0.9 2.0

Nebraska 36 35 95 96 81 2.0 1.9 5.1 5.1 4.3

Nevada 430 445 523 893 915 15.8 16.1 18.7 31.5 32.2

New Hampshire 33 65 79 79 84 2.5 4.9 6.0 6.0 6.3

New Jersey 971 883 968 1,172 1,306 11.0 10.0 10.9 13.1 14.6

New Mexico 212 234 247 283 332 10.2 11.2 11.8 13.6 15.9

New York 4,786 5,312 6,173 7,129 7,795 24.6 27.1 31.4 36.1 39.5

North Carolina 1,255 1,037 1,153 1,998 2,741 13.0 10.6 11.7 20.1 27.6

North Dakota 5 14 25 51 42 0.7 2.0 3.5 6.9 5.7

Ohio 954 1,141 1,096 1,229 1,348 8.3 9.9 9.5 10.6 11.6

Oklahoma 270 256 383 414 521 7.1 6.7 9.9 10.7 13.4

Oregon 252 424 527 582 783 6.5 10.9 13.4 14.7 19.7

Pennsylvania 1,125 1,349 1,486 1,523 1,788 8.8 10.6 11.6 11.9 14.0

Rhode Island 84 93 94 160 163 8.0 8.9 8.9 15.2 15.4

South Carolina 639 624 753 750 834 13.7 13.2 15.8 15.5 17.3

South Dakota 14 29 61 95 71 1.7 3.5 7.2 11.1 8.3

Tennessee 1,025 1,068 980 977 1,241 16.0 16.5 15.1 14.9 18.9

Texas 6,161 7,057 7,044 7,804 8,247 24.0 27.1 26.6 28.9 30.6

Utah 64 101 172 149 169 2.3 3.5 5.9 5.1 5.7

Vermont 10 12 10 12 15 1.6 1.9 1.6 1.9 2.4

Virginia 726 906 1,001 702 1,023 9.0 11.1 12.1 8.4 12.3

Washington 712 709 711 854 1,109 10.4 10.3 10.2 12.1 15.7

West Virginia 9 24 39 55 109 0.5 1.3 2.1 3.0 5.9

Wisconsin 203 268 257 285 262 3.6 4.7 4.5 5.0 4.6

Wyoming 6 12 9 6 10 1.1 2.1 1.5 1.0 1.7

U.S. TOTAL 46,040 49,915 56,484 63,453 74,702 14.8 15.9 17.9 19.9 23.4

Northeast 7,992 8,663 9,954 11,080 12,672 14.4 15.5 17.8 19.7 22.6

Midwest 5,797 6,261 7,378 7,963 8,783 8.6 9.3 10.9 11.8 13.0

South 22,425 23,626 25,381 28,180 33,121 19.3 20.1 21.4 23.5 27.7

West 9,826 11,365 13,771 16,230 20,126 13.5 15.4 18.5 21.6 26.8

Guam 26 27 24 13 21 16.3 16.9 15.0 8.1 13.0

Puerto Rico 671 704 811 960 1,267 18.1 19.2 22.4 27.1 35.7

Virgin Islands 7 2 9 6 25 6.6 1.9 8.6 5.8 24.0

OUTLYING AREAS 704 733 844 979 1,313 17.7 18.6 21.8 25.7 34.4

TOTAL 46,744 50,648 57,328 64,432 76,015 14.8 15.9 17.9 20.0 23.6

* See Section A1.9 in the Appendix for definition.
112 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 25. All Stages of Syphilis* — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)† in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,549 1,822 2,257 2,669 3,105 28.8 33.4 40.9 47.5 55.3

Austin-Round Rock, TX 425 478 500 680 622 23.8 26.1 26.6 35.0 32.0

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 710 726 732 815 1,005 26.0 26.4 26.4 29.3 36.1

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 276 226 236 157 197 24.4 19.9 20.7 13.7 17.2

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 607 570 758 596 811 13.2 12.3 16.2 12.6 17.1

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 48 70 115 130 180 4.2 6.2 10.1 11.4 15.8

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 372 310 360 530 731 16.5 13.5 15.4 22.3 30.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,266 2,269 2,499 2,559 3,059 23.8 23.8 26.2 26.8 32.0

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 436 529 437 381 319 20.5 24.9 20.4 17.7 14.8

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 151 140 111 199 229 7.3 6.8 5.4 9.6 11.1

Columbus, OH 237 316 342 441 517 12.3 16.3 17.4 22.1 25.9

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,816 2,141 2,093 2,231 2,260 27.6 32.0 30.7 32.1 32.5

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 319 434 382 298 426 12.3 16.4 14.2 10.8 15.5

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 522 607 830 791 773 12.2 14.1 19.3 18.4 18.0

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 55 21 43 52 84 4.5 1.7 3.5 4.3 6.9

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,870 2,246 1,891 2,316 2,568 30.9 36.4 30.0 35.7 39.6

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 270 336 340 285 408 14.1 17.4 17.4 14.5 20.7

Jacksonville, FL 188 177 189 270 435 13.8 12.8 13.6 19.0 30.7

Kansas City, MO-KS 141 164 320 406 365 7.0 8.0 15.6 19.6 17.6

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 402 403 438 830 826 20.4 20.1 21.6 40.1 39.9

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,247 3,540 4,537 4,738 5,812 25.1 27.1 34.6 35.7 43.8

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 186 201 210 239 270 14.9 16.1 16.6 18.8 21.3

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 587 591 578 475 575 44.0 44.0 43.1 35.4 42.8

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,315 2,591 2,740 3,313 3,635 40.8 45.0 47.0 55.9 61.3

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 117 159 153 184 147 7.5 10.1 9.7 11.7 9.3

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 326 313 487 585 592 9.6 9.1 14.1 16.7 16.9

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 229 271 239 305 359 13.5 15.7 13.6 17.0 20.0

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 668 547 634 723 757 55.1 44.6 51.1 57.8 60.5

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 5,303 5,670 6,506 7,476 8,166 26.9 28.6 32.6 37.2 40.6

Oklahoma City, OK 114 148 213 231 264 8.9 11.4 16.1 17.3 19.7

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 485 499 631 782 915 22.3 22.4 27.8 33.7 39.4

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,029 1,119 1,333 1,273 1,393 17.2 18.6 22.1 21.0 23.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 676 624 713 1,065 1,125 15.9 14.4 16.2 23.7 25.1

Pittsburgh, PA 92 128 95 154 273 3.9 5.4 4.0 6.5 11.6

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 220 410 475 470 587 9.7 17.9 20.5 20.0 25.0

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 111 125 138 204 230 6.9 7.8 8.6 12.7 14.3

Raleigh, NC 151 150 179 315 409 13.0 12.6 14.7 25.3 32.9

Richmond, VA 154 194 204 145 207 12.6 15.7 16.4 11.5 16.4

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 527 775 803 950 1,165 12.2 17.8 18.3 21.4 26.2

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 258 249 289 371 607 11.9 11.3 13.0 16.5 27.0

Salt Lake City, UT 48 74 136 109 122 4.3 6.6 11.9 9.5 10.6

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 736 983 1,167 1,017 988 33.5 44.0 51.2 43.7 42.4

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 609 717 792 987 1,208 19.4 22.6 24.7 30.2 37.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,271 1,595 1,892 2,106 2,352 28.9 35.8 41.9 45.8 51.2

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 159 233 276 304 359 8.5 12.3 14.4 15.6 18.4

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 589 559 539 590 759 16.8 15.7 14.9 16.1 20.7

St. Louis, MO-IL 271 280 338 412 417 9.7 10.0 12.1 14.7 14.9

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 516 582 632 806 956 18.3 20.5 22.0 27.6 32.8

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 212 296 302 220 375 12.6 17.4 17.7 12.8 21.8

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,316 1,374 1,543 811 1,057 22.9 23.4 25.9 13.4 17.5

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 35,182 38,982 43,647 47,996 55,001 20.8 22.8 25.3 27.4 31.4

* See Section A1.9 in the Appendix for definition.

†

 MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 113

Table 26. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State, 

Ranked by Rates, United States, 2015

Rank* State Cases Rate per 100,000 Population

1 Louisiana 696 15.0

2 Georgia 1,413 14.0

3 California 4,908 12.6

4 North Carolina 1,196 12.0

5 Nevada 335 11.8

6 Florida 2,083 10.5

7 New York 2,006 10.2

8 Arizona 589 8.7

9 Oregon 345 8.7

10 Maryland 509 8.5

11 Illinois 1,085 8.4

U.S. TOTAL† 23,872 7.5

12 Mississippi 219 7.3

13 Rhode Island 77 7.3

14 Hawaii 91 6.4

15 Washington 445 6.3

16 Texas 1,680 6.2

17 Massachusetts 418 6.2

18 South Carolina 294 6.1

19 Alabama 280 5.8

20 New Mexico 118 5.7

21 Oklahoma 209 5.4

22 Tennessee 349 5.3

23 Pennsylvania 655 5.1

24 Missouri 307 5.1

25 Ohio 560 4.8

26 Colorado 245 4.6

27 South Dakota 39 4.6

28 Arkansas 134 4.5

29 Minnesota 246 4.5

30 Delaware 41 4.4

31 Indiana 285 4.3

32 New Jersey 372 4.2

33 Michigan 403 4.1

34 Virginia 334 4.0

35 Idaho 57 3.5

36 Kentucky 145 3.3

37 New Hampshire 40 3.0

38 Kansas 87 3.0

39 West Virginia 52 2.8

40 Connecticut 92 2.6

41 Iowa 75 2.4

42 Nebraska 45 2.4

43 Utah 65 2.2

44 Maine 28 2.1

45 North Dakota 11 1.5

46 Vermont 9 1.4

47 Wisconsin 79 1.4

48 Montana 13 1.3

49 Alaska 8 1.1

50 Wyoming 5 0.9

* States were ranked by rate, then by case count, then in alphabetical order, with rates shown rounded to the nearest tenth.

† Total includes cases reported by the District of Columbia with 95 cases and a rate of 14.4, but excludes outlying areas (Guam with 2 cases and rate of 1.2, 

Puerto Rico with 531 cases and rate of 15.0, and Virgin Islands with 8 cases and rate of 7.7).
114 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 27. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/

Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 228 216 183 161 280 4.7 4.5 3.8 3.3 5.8

Alaska 5 11 23 15 8 0.7 1.5 3.1 2.0 1.1

Arizona 274 202 287 577 589 4.2 3.1 4.3 8.6 8.7

Arkansas 182 173 177 121 134 6.2 5.9 6.0 4.1 4.5

California 2,443 2,953 3,532 3,835 4,908 6.5 7.8 9.2 9.9 12.6

Colorado 133 208 163 186 245 2.6 4.0 3.1 3.5 4.6

Connecticut 65 55 56 86 92 1.8 1.5 1.6 2.4 2.6

Delaware 27 38 52 47 41 3.0 4.1 5.6 5.0 4.4

District of Columbia 165 165 168 116 95 26.7 26.1 26.0 17.6 14.4

Florida 1,257 1,369 1,513 1,740 2,083 6.6 7.1 7.7 8.7 10.5

Georgia 678 937 1,017 1,234 1,413 6.9 9.4 10.2 12.2 14.0

Hawaii 14 23 46 68 91 1.0 1.7 3.3 4.8 6.4

Idaho 13 26 15 12 57 0.8 1.6 0.9 0.7 3.5

Illinois 881 804 798 863 1,085 6.8 6.2 6.2 6.7 8.4

Indiana 173 224 215 168 285 2.7 3.4 3.3 2.5 4.3

Iowa 20 70 106 72 75 0.7 2.3 3.4 2.3 2.4

Kansas 24 24 51 60 87 0.8 0.8 1.8 2.1 3.0

Kentucky 129 150 122 158 145 3.0 3.4 2.8 3.6 3.3

Louisiana 447 339 423 575 696 9.8 7.4 9.1 12.4 15.0

Maine 12 17 10 16 28 0.9 1.3 0.8 1.2 2.1

Maryland 452 431 456 449 509 7.8 7.3 7.7 7.5 8.5

Massachusetts 266 316 360 301 418 4.0 4.8 5.4 4.5 6.2

Michigan 286 295 487 421 403 2.9 3.0 4.9 4.2 4.1

Minnesota 139 118 193 257 246 2.6 2.2 3.6 4.7 4.5

Mississippi 191 150 78 189 219 6.4 5.0 2.6 6.3 7.3

Missouri 136 157 251 352 307 2.3 2.6 4.2 5.8 5.1

Montana 7 2 5 8 13 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.8 1.3

Nebraska 10 8 41 50 45 0.5 0.4 2.2 2.7 2.4

Nevada 136 113 205 357 335 5.0 4.1 7.3 12.6 11.8

New Hampshire 18 36 28 36 40 1.4 2.7 2.1 2.7 3.0

New Jersey 232 229 233 297 372 2.6 2.6 2.6 3.3 4.2

New Mexico 71 101 78 126 118 3.4 4.8 3.7 6.0 5.7

New York 1,083 1,224 1,459 1,727 2,006 5.6 6.3 7.4 8.7 10.2

North Carolina 431 347 404 733 1,196 4.5 3.6 4.1 7.4 12.0

North Dakota 1 4 12 13 11 0.1 0.6 1.7 1.8 1.5

Ohio 440 425 436 568 560 3.8 3.7 3.8 4.9 4.8

Oklahoma 84 83 118 151 209 2.2 2.2 3.1 3.9 5.4

Oregon 97 212 267 272 345 2.5 5.4 6.8 6.9 8.7

Pennsylvania 373 494 471 532 655 2.9 3.9 3.7 4.2 5.1

Rhode Island 46 44 45 71 77 4.4 4.2 4.3 6.7 7.3

South Carolina 221 225 271 250 294 4.7 4.8 5.7 5.2 6.1

South Dakota 0 18 44 53 39 0.0 2.2 5.2 6.2 4.6

Tennessee 278 266 214 237 349 4.3 4.1 3.3 3.6 5.3

Texas 1,169 1,627 1,475 1,636 1,680 4.6 6.2 5.6 6.1 6.2

Utah 14 42 74 47 65 0.5 1.5 2.6 1.6 2.2

Vermont 9 6 3 5 9 1.4 1.0 0.5 0.8 1.4

Virginia 213 285 315 289 334 2.6 3.5 3.8 3.5 4.0

Washington 328 302 284 344 445 4.8 4.4 4.1 4.9 6.3

West Virginia 4 8 15 28 52 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.5 2.8

Wisconsin 65 91 95 86 79 1.1 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.4

Wyoming 0 4 1 4 5 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.7 0.9

U.S. TOTAL 13,970 15,667 17,375 19,999 23,872 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.3 7.5

Northeast 2,104 2,421 2,665 3,071 3,697 3.8 4.3 4.8 5.5 6.6

Midwest 2,175 2,238 2,729 2,963 3,222 3.2 3.3 4.0 4.4 4.8

South 6,156 6,809 7,001 8,114 9,729 5.3 5.8 5.9 6.8 8.1

West 3,535 4,199 4,980 5,851 7,224 4.9 5.7 6.7 7.8 9.6

Guam 5 6 6 7 2 3.1 3.8 3.7 4.3 1.2

Puerto Rico 254 306 385 484 531 6.9 8.3 10.6 13.6 15.0

Virgin Islands 0 0 2 2 8 0.0 0.0 1.9 1.9 7.7

OUTLYING AREAS 259 312 393 493 541 6.5 7.9 10.1 12.9 14.2

TOTAL 14,229 15,979 17,768 20,492 24,413 4.5 5.0 5.6 6.4 7.6
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 115

Table 28. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of 

Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and 

Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 54 38 22 17 37 2.2 1.5 0.9 0.7 1.5

Alaska 1 1 2 1 1 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3

Arizona 15 16 27 50 47 0.5 0.5 0.8 1.5 1.4

Arkansas 76 49 44 23 26 5.1 3.3 2.9 1.5 1.7

California 103 116 210 318 476 0.5 0.6 1.1 1.6 2.4

Colorado 4 3 4 6 6 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2

Connecticut 5 9 8 7 15 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.8

Delaware 1 2 3 2 2 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4

District of Columbia 7 6 19 5 6 2.1 1.8 5.6 1.4 1.7

Florida 134 134 137 137 210 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 2.1

Georgia 58 66 87 96 94 1.2 1.3 1.7 1.9 1.8

Hawaii 0 2 0 2 1 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.1

Idaho 1 2 0 0 9 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 1.1

Illinois 81 73 66 81 84 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.3

Indiana 13 22 18 11 28 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.8

Iowa 5 7 10 6 5 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3

Kansas 0 2 4 14 17 0.0 0.1 0.3 1.0 1.2

Kentucky 19 13 17 22 23 0.9 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0

Louisiana 179 127 115 132 189 7.7 5.4 4.9 5.6 8.0

Maine 0 2 1 3 6 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.9

Maryland 49 45 61 49 58 1.6 1.5 2.0 1.6 1.9

Massachusetts 23 15 17 23 25 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.7

Michigan 26 30 29 31 34 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7

Minnesota 5 7 12 21 39 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.8 1.4

Mississippi 45 34 19 17 32 2.9 2.2 1.2 1.1 2.1

Missouri 6 12 19 34 54 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.1 1.7

Montana 1 0 1 2 1 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.2

Nebraska 1 1 4 4 3 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.3

Nevada 7 4 14 23 23 0.5 0.3 1.0 1.6 1.6

New Hampshire 1 0 1 4 3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.4

New Jersey 13 19 13 16 26 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.6

New Mexico 2 9 20 14 11 0.2 0.9 1.9 1.3 1.0

New York 37 45 44 49 59 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6

North Carolina 31 37 36 68 112 0.6 0.7 0.7 1.3 2.2

North Dakota 0 0 1 5 0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.4 0.0

Ohio 107 85 63 76 68 1.8 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.1

Oklahoma 12 6 13 15 21 0.6 0.3 0.7 0.8 1.1

Oregon 0 6 12 22 35 0.0 0.3 0.6 1.1 1.7

Pennsylvania 34 34 26 47 52 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.7 0.8

Rhode Island 3 1 1 5 4 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.9 0.7

South Carolina 24 34 39 23 37 1.0 1.4 1.6 0.9 1.5

South Dakota 0 1 15 34 7 0.0 0.2 3.6 8.0 1.7

Tennessee 34 31 22 34 23 1.0 0.9 0.7 1.0 0.7

Texas 255 269 179 242 230 2.0 2.1 1.3 1.8 1.7

Utah 0 0 2 1 2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1

Vermont 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Virginia 18 21 17 17 17 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4

Washington 6 9 13 18 30 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.8

West Virginia 0 2 4 6 9 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.0

Wisconsin 5 11 9 7 0 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0

Wyoming 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3

U.S. TOTAL 1,501 1,458 1,500 1,840 2,298 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.4

Northeast 116 125 111 154 190 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.7

Midwest 249 251 250 324 339 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0

South 996 914 834 905 1,126 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.8

West 140 168 305 457 643 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.2 1.7

Guam 2 1 5 2 0 2.5 1.3 6.3 2.5 0.0

Puerto Rico 17 20 35 30 70 0.9 1.0 1.9 1.6 3.8

Virgin Islands 0 0 1 1 4 0.0 0.0 1.8 1.8 7.2

OUTLYING AREAS 19 21 41 33 74 0.9 1.0 2.0 1.7 3.7

TOTAL 1,520 1,479 1,541 1,873 2,372 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.4

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
116 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 29. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of 

Reported Cases by State/Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and 

Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 174 178 161 144 243 7.5 7.6 6.9 6.1 10.3

Alaska 4 10 21 14 7 1.1 2.6 5.4 3.6 1.8

Arizona 257 186 260 527 542 8.0 5.7 7.9 15.8 16.2

Arkansas 106 124 133 98 108 7.3 8.6 9.1 6.7 7.4

California 2,327 2,823 3,319 3,515 4,430 12.4 14.9 17.4 18.2 23.0

Colorado 129 205 159 180 239 5.0 7.9 6.0 6.7 8.9

Connecticut 60 46 48 79 77 3.4 2.6 2.7 4.5 4.4

Delaware 26 36 49 45 39 5.9 8.1 10.9 9.9 8.6

District of Columbia 158 159 149 106 83 54.1 53.2 48.7 33.9 26.6

Florida 1,123 1,235 1,376 1,602 1,873 12.0 13.1 14.4 16.5 19.3

Georgia 620 870 930 1,138 1,319 12.9 17.9 19.1 23.1 26.8

Hawaii 14 21 46 66 90 2.0 3.0 6.5 9.2 12.5

Idaho 12 24 15 12 48 1.5 3.0 1.9 1.5 5.9

Illinois 800 731 731 782 1,001 12.7 11.6 11.6 12.4 15.8

Indiana 160 202 197 157 257 5.0 6.3 6.1 4.8 7.9

Iowa 15 63 96 66 70 1.0 4.1 6.3 4.3 4.5

Kansas 24 22 47 46 70 1.7 1.5 3.3 3.2 4.8

Kentucky 110 137 105 136 122 5.1 6.3 4.9 6.3 5.6

Louisiana 268 212 308 443 507 12.0 9.4 13.6 19.5 22.3

Maine 12 15 9 13 22 1.8 2.3 1.4 2.0 3.4

Maryland 403 386 395 400 451 14.3 13.5 13.7 13.8 15.6

Massachusetts 243 301 343 277 391 7.6 9.3 10.6 8.5 12.0

Michigan 260 265 458 390 369 5.4 5.5 9.4 8.0 7.6

Minnesota 134 111 178 235 207 5.0 4.2 6.6 8.7 7.6

Mississippi 146 116 59 172 187 10.1 8.0 4.1 11.8 12.9

Missouri 130 145 232 318 253 4.4 4.9 7.8 10.7 8.5

Montana 6 2 4 6 12 1.2 0.4 0.8 1.2 2.3

Nebraska 9 7 37 46 42 1.0 0.8 4.0 4.9 4.5

Nevada 129 109 191 334 312 9.4 7.8 13.6 23.4 21.9

New Hampshire 17 36 27 32 37 2.6 5.5 4.1 4.9 5.6

New Jersey 219 210 220 281 346 5.1 4.9 5.1 6.4 7.9

New Mexico 69 92 58 112 107 6.7 8.9 5.6 10.8 10.4

New York 1,045 1,175 1,408 1,675 1,933 11.1 12.4 14.8 17.5 20.2

North Carolina 400 310 368 665 1,084 8.5 6.5 7.7 13.7 22.4

North Dakota 1 4 11 8 11 0.3 1.1 3.0 2.1 2.9

Ohio 333 340 373 492 492 5.9 6.0 6.6 8.7 8.7

Oklahoma 72 77 105 136 188 3.8 4.1 5.5 7.1 9.8

Oregon 97 206 255 250 310 5.1 10.7 13.1 12.7 15.8

Pennsylvania 339 460 445 485 602 5.5 7.4 7.1 7.8 9.6

Rhode Island 43 43 44 66 73 8.5 8.5 8.6 12.9 14.3

South Carolina 197 191 232 227 257 8.7 8.3 10.0 9.7 10.9

South Dakota 0 17 29 19 32 0.0 4.1 6.8 4.4 7.5

Tennessee 244 235 192 203 326 7.8 7.5 6.1 6.4 10.2

Texas 914 1,358 1,296 1,394 1,450 7.2 10.5 9.9 10.4 10.8

Utah 14 42 72 46 63 1.0 2.9 4.9 3.1 4.3

Vermont 9 6 3 5 9 2.9 1.9 1.0 1.6 2.9

Virginia 195 264 298 272 316 4.9 6.6 7.3 6.6 7.7

Washington 322 293 271 326 414 9.4 8.5 7.8 9.2 11.7

West Virginia 4 6 11 22 43 0.4 0.7 1.2 2.4 4.7

Wisconsin 60 80 86 79 79 2.1 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.8

Wyoming 0 4 1 4 4 0.0 1.4 0.3 1.3 1.3

U.S. TOTAL 12,453 14,190 15,861 18,146 21,547 8.1 9.2 10.2 11.6 13.7

Northeast 1,987 2,292 2,547 2,913 3,490 7.4 8.4 9.3 10.7 12.8

Midwest 1,926 1,987 2,475 2,638 2,883 5.8 6.0 7.4 7.9 8.6

South 5,160 5,894 6,167 7,203 8,596 9.1 10.2 10.6 12.3 14.6

West 3,380 4,017 4,672 5,392 6,578 9.3 10.9 12.6 14.4 17.6

Guam 3 5 1 5 2 3.7 6.2 1.2 6.1 2.5

Puerto Rico 237 286 350 454 461 13.4 16.3 20.2 26.6 27.0

Virgin Islands 0 0 1 1 4 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.1 8.2

OUTLYING AREAS 240 291 352 460 467 12.6 15.4 18.9 25.1 25.5

TOTAL 12,693 14,481 16,213 18,606 22,014 8.2 9.3 10.3 11.7 13.9

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 117

Table 30. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in 

Selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 

2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 581 745 789 996 1,097 10.8 13.7 14.3 17.7 19.5

Austin-Round Rock, TX 114 154 145 227 203 6.4 8.4 7.7 11.7 10.4

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 308 307 288 282 343 11.3 11.2 10.4 10.1 12.3

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 89 73 69 58 74 7.9 6.4 6.1 5.1 6.5

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 191 204 268 227 271 4.2 4.4 5.7 4.8 5.7

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 14 27 38 49 92 1.2 2.4 3.4 4.3 8.1

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 152 116 134 220 333 6.7 5.1 5.7 9.2 14.0

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 853 759 763 811 1,047 9.0 8.0 8.0 8.5 11.0

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 228 166 166 153 93 10.7 7.8 7.8 7.1 4.3

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 55 44 32 80 72 2.7 2.1 1.5 3.9 3.5

Columbus, OH 122 159 167 250 274 6.3 8.2 8.5 12.5 13.7

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 317 391 445 508 476 4.8 5.8 6.5 7.3 6.8

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 116 183 135 153 192 4.5 6.9 5.0 5.6 7.0

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 203 235 394 317 284 4.7 5.5 9.2 7.4 6.6

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 15 9 14 26 44 1.2 0.7 1.2 2.1 3.6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 322 537 363 414 439 5.3 8.7 5.7 6.4 6.8

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 91 150 146 109 172 4.8 7.8 7.5 5.5 8.7

Jacksonville, FL 47 44 40 69 91 3.5 3.2 2.9 4.9 6.4

Kansas City, MO-KS 57 65 155 220 191 2.8 3.2 7.5 10.6 9.2

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 126 97 164 318 305 6.4 4.8 8.1 15.4 14.7

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 876 1,049 1,299 1,407 1,832 6.8 8.0 9.9 10.6 13.8

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 92 81 71 83 87 7.4 6.5 5.6 6.5 6.9

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 120 110 105 94 121 9.0 8.2 7.8 7.0 9.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 630 705 762 821 884 11.1 12.2 13.1 13.8 14.9

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 35 43 54 52 39 2.2 2.7 3.4 3.3 2.5

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 127 116 181 243 228 3.7 3.4 5.2 7.0 6.5

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 85 88 57 74 116 5.0 5.1 3.2 4.1 6.5

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 101 66 103 221 218 8.3 5.4 8.3 17.7 17.4

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,169 1,315 1,491 1,721 2,037 5.9 6.6 7.5 8.6 10.1

Oklahoma City, OK 39 54 78 91 113 3.1 4.2 5.9 6.8 8.5

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 174 168 201 239 299 8.0 7.6 8.9 10.3 12.9

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 302 369 396 446 458 5.0 6.1 6.6 7.4 7.6

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 213 162 219 416 452 5.0 3.7 5.0 9.3 10.1

Pittsburgh, PA 49 61 39 78 150 2.1 2.6 1.7 3.3 6.4

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 90 209 240 206 261 4.0 9.1 10.4 8.8 11.1

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 55 58 65 93 111 3.4 3.6 4.1 5.8 6.9

Raleigh, NC 47 56 70 129 168 4.0 4.7 5.8 10.4 13.5

Richmond, VA 50 64 70 68 73 4.1 5.2 5.6 5.4 5.8

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 182 166 203 288 341 4.2 3.8 4.6 6.5 7.7

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 131 151 147 162 265 6.0 6.9 6.6 7.2 11.8

Salt Lake City, UT 9 34 65 39 49 0.8 3.0 5.7 3.4 4.2

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 188 329 310 247 237 8.6 14.7 13.6 10.6 10.2

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 293 331 333 371 493 9.3 10.4 10.4 11.4 15.1

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 626 744 814 767 830 14.3 16.7 18.0 16.7 18.1

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 68 105 146 120 134 3.6 5.5 7.6 6.1 6.9

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 276 248 211 235 311 7.9 7.0 5.8 6.4 8.5

St. Louis, MO-IL 92 95 108 153 112 3.3 3.4 3.9 5.5 4.0

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 199 230 226 320 393 7.0 8.1 7.9 11.0 13.5

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 64 106 102 85 117 3.8 6.2 6.0 5.0 6.8

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 360 358 418 226 230 6.3 6.1 7.0 3.7 3.8

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 10,743 12,136 13,299 14,982 17,252 6.3 7.1 7.7 8.6 9.9

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
118 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 31. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported 

Cases in Selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, 

United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 40 33 52 58 61 1.5 1.2 1.8 2.0 2.1

Austin-Round Rock, TX 12 8 6 14 16 1.3 0.9 0.6 1.4 1.6

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 39 39 46 42 49 2.8 2.7 3.2 2.9 3.4

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 10 7 5 5 8 1.7 1.2 0.8 0.8 1.3

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 14 5 10 14 13 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.5

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 2 1 2 1 0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.0

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 14 15 6 6 16 1.2 1.3 0.5 0.5 1.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 77 77 65 76 86 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.6 1.8

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 99 63 31 33 21 9.1 5.8 2.8 3.0 1.9

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 3 5 2 5 1 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.1

Columbus, OH 10 14 18 34 27 1.0 1.4 1.8 3.4 2.7

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 63 56 41 63 56 1.9 1.6 1.2 1.8 1.6

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1 3 3 4 6 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 20 27 25 23 26 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.2

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 2 3 0 2 9 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.3 1.4

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 69 97 59 64 58 2.3 3.1 1.9 2.0 1.8

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 5 10 9 5 12 0.5 1.0 0.9 0.5 1.2

Jacksonville, FL 11 4 5 9 8 1.6 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.1

Kansas City, MO-KS 4 1 9 23 41 0.4 0.1 0.9 2.2 3.9

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 4 2 6 17 17 0.4 0.2 0.6 1.6 1.6

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 16 26 50 67 108 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.0 1.6

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 7 9 11 14 10 1.1 1.4 1.7 2.2 1.5

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 22 22 17 22 13 3.2 3.2 2.4 3.1 1.9

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 47 63 65 44 75 1.6 2.1 2.2 1.4 2.5

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 5 5 5 6 0 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.0

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 5 7 9 19 37 0.3 0.4 0.5 1.1 2.1

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 3 1 4 5 4 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.5 0.4

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 17 9 10 18 29 2.7 1.4 1.6 2.8 4.5

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 39 57 46 52 69 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.7

Oklahoma City, OK 6 1 5 7 14 0.9 0.2 0.7 1.0 2.1

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 10 15 9 8 14 0.9 1.3 0.8 0.7 1.2

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 28 30 24 39 43 0.9 1.0 0.8 1.2 1.4

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 9 14 22 42 39 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.9 1.7

Pittsburgh, PA 4 5 2 6 11 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.9

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 0 9 9 9 19 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.6

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 3 1 3 8 8 0.4 0.1 0.4 1.0 1.0

Raleigh, NC 1 5 9 6 13 0.2 0.8 1.4 0.9 2.0

Richmond, VA 10 10 4 2 4 1.6 1.6 0.6 0.3 0.6

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 8 3 7 15 17 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.8

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 7 5 10 11 26 0.6 0.4 0.9 1.0 2.3

Salt Lake City, UT 0 0 1 1 1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 39 59 44 47 43 3.5 5.2 3.8 4.0 3.6

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 13 12 10 20 17 0.8 0.8 0.6 1.2 1.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 27 28 40 34 46 1.2 1.2 1.7 1.5 2.0

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 4 3 9 12 10 0.4 0.3 0.9 1.2 1.0

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3 6 10 10 6 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.3

St. Louis, MO-IL 3 9 6 17 14 0.2 0.6 0.4 1.2 1.0

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 26 29 31 41 44 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.7 2.9

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 7 5 5 8 5 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.6

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 16 15 35 7 10 0.5 0.5 1.2 0.2 0.3

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 884 933 912 1,095 1,280 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.4

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 119

Table 32. Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Men — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported 

Cases in Selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, 

United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 541 712 737 938 1,036 20.6 26.8 27.5 34.5 38.1

Austin-Round Rock, TX 102 146 139 213 187 11.4 15.9 14.7 21.9 19.2

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 269 268 242 240 294 20.5 20.2 18.1 17.9 21.9

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 79 66 64 53 66 14.5 12.1 11.6 9.6 12.0

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 177 199 258 213 257 8.0 8.8 11.4 9.3 11.2

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 12 26 36 48 92 2.2 4.7 6.6 8.7 16.7

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 138 101 128 214 317 12.6 9.0 11.3 18.5 27.4

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 776 682 697 735 961 16.7 14.6 14.9 15.7 20.6

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 129 103 135 120 72 12.4 9.9 12.9 11.4 6.8

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 52 39 30 75 71 5.2 3.9 3.0 7.5 7.1

Columbus, OH 112 145 149 216 247 11.8 15.2 15.4 22.0 25.2

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 254 335 404 445 420 7.8 10.1 12.0 13.0 12.3

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 115 180 132 149 186 8.9 13.7 9.8 10.9 13.6

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 183 208 369 294 258 8.8 10.0 17.7 14.1 12.4

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 13 6 14 24 35 2.2 1.0 2.4 4.1 5.9

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 253 440 304 350 381 8.4 14.3 9.7 10.8 11.8

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 86 140 137 104 160 9.2 14.8 14.3 10.8 16.6

Jacksonville, FL 36 40 35 60 83 5.4 6.0 5.2 8.7 12.0

Kansas City, MO-KS 53 64 146 197 150 5.3 6.4 14.5 19.4 14.8

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 122 95 158 301 288 12.3 9.4 15.5 29.1 27.8

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 858 1,019 1,248 1,340 1,724 13.4 15.8 19.2 20.5 26.4

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 85 72 60 69 77 14.0 11.8 9.7 11.1 12.4

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 98 88 88 72 108 15.3 13.7 13.7 11.2 16.8

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 583 642 697 777 809 21.2 23.0 24.6 27.0 28.1

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 30 38 49 46 39 3.9 5.0 6.4 6.0 5.1

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 122 109 169 223 191 7.3 6.4 9.9 12.9 11.1

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 82 87 53 69 112 9.9 10.3 6.2 7.9 12.8

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 84 57 93 203 189 14.2 9.6 15.4 33.5 31.2

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,129 1,254 1,438 1,666 1,954 11.9 13.1 14.9 17.1 20.1

Oklahoma City, OK 33 53 73 84 99 5.2 8.3 11.2 12.8 15.0

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 164 153 192 231 285 15.4 14.1 17.3 20.4 25.1

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 274 339 372 407 415 9.5 11.7 12.8 13.9 14.2

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 202 148 197 374 413 9.5 6.9 9.0 16.8 18.5

Pittsburgh, PA 45 56 37 72 139 3.9 4.9 3.2 6.3 12.1

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 90 200 231 197 242 8.0 17.7 20.2 17.0 20.9

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 52 57 62 84 103 6.7 7.4 8.0 10.8 13.2

Raleigh, NC 46 51 61 123 155 8.1 8.8 10.3 20.3 25.6

Richmond, VA 40 54 66 66 69 6.8 9.1 11.0 10.8 11.3

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 171 163 196 273 324 8.0 7.5 9.0 12.4 14.7

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 122 144 137 151 239 11.4 13.4 12.6 13.7 21.8

Salt Lake City, UT 9 34 64 38 48 1.6 6.0 11.2 6.6 8.3

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 149 270 266 200 194 13.8 24.5 23.7 17.4 16.9

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 279 318 323 351 476 17.7 19.9 20.0 21.4 29.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 596 713 773 731 783 27.5 32.4 34.7 32.3 34.6

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 64 102 137 108 124 6.8 10.7 14.2 11.0 12.6

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 273 242 201 225 305 15.6 13.7 11.2 12.3 16.6

St. Louis, MO-IL 89 86 102 136 98 6.6 6.4 7.5 10.0 7.2

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 173 201 195 278 349 12.6 14.6 14.0 19.7 24.7

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 57 101 97 77 112 6.9 12.1 11.5 9.1 13.2

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 344 343 383 219 219 12.3 12.0 13.2 7.4 7.4

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 9,845 11,189 12,374 13,879 15,955 11.9 13.3 14.6 16.2 18.6

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.

NOTE: Cases reported with unknown sex are not included in this table.
120 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 33. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Counties 

and Independent Cities* Ranked by Number of Reported Cases, United States, 2015

Rank* County/Independent City Cases Rate per 100,000 Population Cumulative Percentage

1 Los Angeles County, CA 1,577 15.6 6

2 Cook County, IL 915 17.4 10

3 New York County, NY 544 33.2 12

4 San Francisco County, CA 516 60.5 14

5 San Diego County, CA 493 15.1 16

6 Miami-Dade County, FL 492 18.5 19

7 Fulton County, GA 450 45.2 20

8 Maricopa County, AZ 445 10.9 22

9 Kings County, NY 389 14.8 24

10 Harris County, TX 377 8.5 25

11 Bronx County, NY 347 24.1 27

12 Philadelphia County, PA 314 20.1 28

13 DeKalb County, GA 309 42.8 30

14 Clark County, NV 305 14.7 31

15 Broward County, FL 291 15.6 32

16 Mecklenburg County, NC 266 26.3 33

17 Fresno County, CA 263 27.2 34

18 Dallas County, TX 258 10.2 35

19 Franklin County, OH 255 20.7 36

20 Orange County, CA 255 8.1 37

21 King County, WA 248 11.9 38

22 Orange County, FL 238 19.0 39

23 Sacramento County, CA 226 15.2 40

24 Bexar County, TX 223 12.0 41

25 Hillsborough County, FL 222 16.9 42

26 Baltimore (City), MD 212 34.0 43

27 Riverside County, CA 209 9.0 44

28 Queens County, NY 207 8.9 45

29 Travis County, TX 175 15.2 46

30 Wayne County, MI 170 9.6 46

31 Tarrant County, TX 165 8.5 47

32 Kern County, CA 161 18.4 48

33 Alameda County, CA 159 9.9 48

34 Hennepin County, MN 158 13.0 49

35 Multnomah County, OR 157 20.2 50

36 Jackson County, MO 154 22.5 50

37 Marion County, IN 153 16.4 51

38 Wake County, NC 153 15.3 52

39 Pinellas County, FL 150 16.0 52

40 Orleans Parish, LA 146 38.0 53

41 San Bernardino County, CA 132 6.2 53

42 Santa Clara County, CA 130 6.9 54

43 San Joaquin County, CA 129 18.0 55

44 Allegheny County, PA 129 10.5 55

45 Guilford County, NC 121 23.6 56

46 Denver County, CO 117 17.6 56

47 East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 111 24.9 57

48 Pima County, AZ 111 11.1 57

49 Shelby County, TN 102 10.9 57

50 Palm Beach County, FL 101 7.2 58

51 Gwinnett County, GA 98 11.2 58

52 Oklahoma County, OK 93 12.1 59

53 Durham County, NC 89 30.2 59

54 Davidson County, TN 89 13.3 59

55 Suffolk County, MA 88 11.5 60

56 Richland County, SC 87 21.7 60

57 Erie County, NY 86 9.3 60

58 Contra Costa County, CA 84 7.6 61

59 Caddo Parish, LA 82 32.5 61

60 Cobb County, GA 82 11.2 62

61 Duval County, FL 82 9.1 62

62 Honolulu County, HI 82 8.3 62

63 Prince George's County, MD 81 9.0 63

64 Cumberland County, NC 80 24.5 63

65 Jefferson County, KY 79 10.4 63

66 Hamilton County, OH 79 9.8 64

67 Baltimore County, MD 79 9.6 64

68 Suffolk County, NY 79 5.3 64

69 Hudson County, NJ 77 11.5 65

70 Nassau County, NY 72 5.3 65

* The top 70 counties and independent cities ranked in descending order by number of cases reported in 2015 then by rate are displayed.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 121

Table 34. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by 

Age Group and Sex, United States, 2011–2015

Age Cases Rates per 100,000 Population*

Group Total Male Female Unknown Sex Total Male Female

0–4 9 5 4 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2011

5–9 1 1 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 15 6 9 0 0.1 0.1 0.1

15–19 864 606 258 0 4.0 5.5 2.5

20–24 2,987 2,582 403 2 13.5 22.8 3.7

25–29 2,546 2,277 268 1 12.0 21.2 2.5

30–34 1,846 1,657 187 2 9.0 16.1 1.8

35–39 1,382 1,265 115 2 7.1 13.0 1.2

40–44 1,503 1,408 91 4 7.1 13.5 0.9

45–54 2,123 1,999 120 4 4.7 9.1 0.5

55–64 554 510 43 1 1.5 2.8 0.2

65+ 138 135 3 0 0.3 0.8 0.0

Unknown Age 2 2 0 0

TOTAL 13,970 12,453 1,501 16 4.5 8.1 0.9

0–4 1 1 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2012

5–9 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 9 5 4 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

15–19 880 640 238 2 4.1 5.8 2.3

20–24 3,280 2,859 418 3 14.5 24.8 3.8

25–29 2,911 2,641 266 4 13.6 24.4 2.5

30–34 2,209 2,023 182 4 10.6 19.3 1.7

35–39 1,563 1,443 120 0 8.0 14.9 1.2

40–44 1,618 1,544 70 4 7.7 14.8 0.7

45–54 2,439 2,310 128 1 5.5 10.6 0.6

55–64 614 586 27 1 1.6 3.2 0.1

65+ 123 121 2 0 0.3 0.6 0.0

Unknown Age 20 17 3 0

TOTAL 15,667 14,190 1,458 19 5.0 9.2 0.9

0–4 5 2 3 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2013

5–9 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 23 14 9 0 0.1 0.1 0.1

15–19 900 700 200 0 4.3 6.5 1.9

20–24 3,642 3,204 435 3 16.0 27.4 3.9

25–29 3,329 3,037 286 6 15.4 27.7 2.7

30–34 2,447 2,272 172 3 11.5 21.3 1.6

35–39 1,800 1,674 125 1 9.2 17.1 1.3

40–44 1,693 1,587 105 1 8.1 15.3 1.0

45–54 2,614 2,495 119 0 6.0 11.6 0.5

55–64 750 716 34 0 1.9 3.8 0.2

65+ 162 152 10 0 0.4 0.8 0.0

Unknown Age 10 8 2 0

TOTAL 17,375 15,861 1,500 14 5.5 10.2 0.9

0–4 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2014

5–9 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 12 4 8 0 0.1 0.0 0.1

15–19 1,023 761 262 0 4.9 7.1 2.5

20–24 4,137 3,632 503 2 18.1 30.9 4.5

25–29 4,092 3,727 361 4 18.6 33.4 3.3

30–34 2,887 2,635 248 4 13.4 24.4 2.3

35–39 2,045 1,868 177 0 10.3 18.8 1.8

40–44 1,758 1,654 103 1 8.5 16.2 1.0

45–54 2,966 2,830 135 1 6.8 13.2 0.6

55–64 897 860 36 1 2.2 4.5 0.2

65+ 176 169 7 0 0.4 0.8 0.0

Unknown Age 6 6 0 0

TOTAL 19,999 18,146 1,840 13 6.3 11.6 1.1

0–4 2 0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0.0

2015

5–9 1 0 1 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 9 1 8 0 0.0 0.0 0.1

15–19 1,148 865 283 0 5.4 8.0 2.8

20–24 4,766 4,186 573 7 20.8 35.7 5.1

25–29 5,168 4,671 491 6 23.5 41.8 4.5

30–34 3,549 3,234 311 4 16.5 29.9 2.9

35–39 2,482 2,249 229 4 12.5 22.6 2.3

40–44 1,897 1,744 152 1 9.2 17.1 1.5

45–54 3,488 3,294 190 4 8.0 15.4 0.9

55–64 1,153 1,099 54 0 2.9 5.7 0.3

65+ 207 202 5 0 0.4 1.0 0.0

Unknown Age 2 2 0 0

TOTAL 23,872 21,547 2,298 27 7.5 13.7 1.4

* No population data are available for unknown sex and age; therefore, rates are not calculated.

NOTE: This table should be used only for age comparisons. 
122 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 35A. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Reported Cases by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and 

Sex, United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

5–9 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

10–14 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 0 0

15–19 9 6 3 21 18 3 568 386 182 0 0 0

20–24 26 22 4 85 80 5 2,235 1,903 330 17 14 3

25–29 27 23 4 115 107 8 2,153 1,933 219 10 10 0

30–34 22 16 6 74 72 2 1,207 1,082 124 9 9 0

35–39 16 10 6 50 45 4 751 665 85 7 6 1

40–44 10 9 1 57 56 1 517 459 58 2 2 0

45–54 17 16 1 79 75 4 722 659 62 8 8 0

55–64 1 1 0 12 12 0 214 189 25 1 1 0

65+ 1 1 0 1 1 0 28 25 3 0 0 0

Unknown Age 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 129 104 25 494 466 27 8,401 7,301 1,094 54 50 4

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics Other/

Unknown

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

5–9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10–14 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 1 0

15–19 193 152 41 13 8 5 263 231 32 72 57 15

20–24 1,042 926 116 61 58 3 1,007 919 86 267 242 24

25–29 1,345 1,208 137 84 79 5 1,117 1,026 88 280 251 29

30–34 1,137 1,027 110 75 74 1 789 740 47 211 192 19

35–39 863 782 81 40 38 2 611 574 36 130 115 14

40–44 766 709 56 18 18 0 398 370 28 117 109 8

45–54 1,755 1,686 68 43 40 3 625 584 39 220 207 13

55–64 691 676 15 12 12 0 137 127 10 71 68 3

65+ 125 125 0 1 1 0 33 31 2 15 15 0

Unknown Age 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 7,918 7,291 625 348 328 20 4,984 4,604 370 1,384 1,257 125

* Includes 49 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 34 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 27–29 for total and sex-specific 

cases and rates.
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 123

Table 35B. Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Population

by Race/Ethnicity, Age Group, and Sex, United States*, 2015

Age 

Group

American Indians/

Alaska Natives Asians Blacks Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

5–9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

15–19 5.0 6.6 3.4 2.1 3.6 0.6 19.1 25.5 12.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

20–24 13.1 21.6 4.1 7.0 12.9 0.8 65.5 110.1 19.6 37.6 60.3 13.6

25–29 15.5 26.1 4.7 8.2 15.7 1.1 73.1 133.2 14.6 20.9 40.5 0.0

30–34 13.9 20.3 7.5 5.2 10.7 0.3 44.2 82.7 8.7 20.0 38.9 0.0

35–39 11.2 14.1 8.4 3.7 7.1 0.6 29.9 56.0 6.4 18.2 30.4 5.3

40–44 6.9 12.7 1.4 4.2 8.7 0.1 20.1 37.9 4.3 5.7 11.3 0.0

45–54 5.5 10.7 0.6 3.4 7.0 0.3 13.7 26.6 2.2 12.2 24.5 0.0

55–64 0.4 0.8 0.0 0.6 1.4 0.0 4.8 9.3 1.0 2.0 4.1 0.0

65+ 0.4 1.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.7 1.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Unknown Age

TOTAL 5.6 9.1 2.1 3.0 5.9 0.3 21.4 39.0 5.3 10.4 19.1 1.6

Age 

Group

Whites Multirace Hispanics

Total† Male Female Total† Male Female Total† Male Female

0–4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

5–9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

10–14 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.1

15–19 1.7 2.6 0.7 2.0 2.4 1.5 5.7 9.8 1.4

20–24 8.4 14.5 1.9 10.8 20.6 1.1 21.3 37.2 3.8

25–29 10.9 19.4 2.3 19.6 38.7 2.2 25.3 44.1 4.2

30–34 9.4 16.8 1.8 20.3 42.6 0.5 18.0 32.2 2.2

35–39 7.7 13.9 1.5 13.1 26.5 1.2 14.9 27.3 1.8

40–44 6.3 11.6 0.9 6.6 13.9 0.0 10.4 19.1 1.5

45–54 6.2 12.0 0.5 9.0 17.6 1.2 9.9 18.4 1.3

55–64 2.4 4.8 0.1 3.2 6.8 0.0 3.4 6.5 0.5

65+ 0.3 0.8 0.0 0.3 0.7 0.0 0.9 2.0 0.1

Unknown Age

TOTAL 4.1 7.6 0.6 5.5 10.6 0.6 9.1 16.6 1.4

* Includes 49 states reporting race/ethnicity data in the Office of Management and Budget compliant formats in 2015.

† Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

NOTE: These tables should be used only for race/ethnicity comparisons. See Table 34 for age-specific cases and rates and Tables 27–29 for total and sex-specific 

cases and rates. No population data exist for unknown sex, unknown age, or unknown race; therefore rates are not calculated.
124 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 36. Early Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area 

and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 268 237 202 144 177 5.6 4.9 4.2 3.0 3.6

Alaska 3 8 8 25 13 0.4 1.1 1.1 3.4 1.8

Arizona 187 147 207 311 361 2.9 2.2 3.1 4.6 5.4

Arkansas 167 152 163 152 216 5.7 5.2 5.5 5.1 7.3

California 2,030 2,519 2,844 3,396 4,435 5.4 6.6 7.4 8.8 11.4

Colorado 154 194 195 164 212 3.0 3.7 3.7 3.1 4.0

Connecticut 57 52 55 62 97 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.7 2.7

Delaware 49 38 30 33 47 5.4 4.1 3.2 3.5 5.0

District of Columbia 222 244 243 142 200 35.9 38.6 37.6 21.6 30.4

Florida 1,212 1,384 1,540 1,886 2,288 6.4 7.2 7.9 9.5 11.5

Georgia 436 639 863 1,078 1,477 4.4 6.4 8.6 10.7 14.6

Hawaii 5 9 22 25 56 0.4 0.6 1.6 1.8 3.9

Idaho 11 21 6 12 24 0.7 1.3 0.4 0.7 1.5

Illinois 581 690 809 819 889 4.5 5.4 6.3 6.4 6.9

Indiana 95 148 157 129 220 1.5 2.3 2.4 2.0 3.3

Iowa 11 15 63 82 69 0.4 0.5 2.0 2.6 2.2

Kansas 34 54 84 92 153 1.2 1.9 2.9 3.2 5.3

Kentucky 109 139 167 169 164 2.5 3.2 3.8 3.8 3.7

Louisiana 488 343 276 372 439 10.7 7.5 6.0 8.0 9.4

Maine 8 2 6 7 10 0.6 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.8

Maryland 332 361 387 529 594 5.7 6.1 6.5 8.9 9.9

Massachusetts 233 231 350 282 355 3.5 3.5 5.2 4.2 5.3

Michigan 132 150 204 243 282 1.3 1.5 2.1 2.5 2.8

Minnesota 121 96 139 159 185 2.3 1.8 2.6 2.9 3.4

Mississippi 313 253 184 336 405 10.5 8.5 6.2 11.2 13.5

Missouri 124 135 220 240 247 2.1 2.2 3.6 4.0 4.1

Montana 1 0 2 1 5 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.5

Nebraska 3 8 14 19 5 0.2 0.4 0.7 1.0 0.3

Nevada 166 214 232 389 439 6.1 7.8 8.3 13.7 15.5

New Hampshire 5 9 21 22 16 0.4 0.7 1.6 1.7 1.2

New Jersey 452 410 539 612 714 5.1 4.6 6.1 6.8 8.0

New Mexico 56 68 67 76 71 2.7 3.3 3.2 3.6 3.4

New York 1,254 1,413 1,945 2,307 2,802 6.4 7.2 9.9 11.7 14.2

North Carolina 333 244 236 468 753 3.4 2.5 2.4 4.7 7.6

North Dakota 1 0 2 22 17 0.1 0.0 0.3 3.0 2.3

Ohio 160 171 211 265 326 1.4 1.5 1.8 2.3 2.8

Oklahoma 145 146 237 198 222 3.8 3.8 6.2 5.1 5.7

Oregon 63 94 127 149 214 1.6 2.4 3.2 3.8 5.4

Pennsylvania 412 484 581 641 770 3.2 3.8 4.5 5.0 6.0

Rhode Island 20 24 22 49 38 1.9 2.3 2.1 4.6 3.6

South Carolina 345 336 415 467 496 7.4 7.1 8.7 9.7 10.3

South Dakota 0 3 5 23 11 0.0 0.4 0.6 2.7 1.3

Tennessee 256 255 267 236 312 4.0 3.9 4.1 3.6 4.8

Texas 1,581 1,767 1,902 1,984 2,471 6.2 6.8 7.2 7.4 9.2

Utah 8 8 47 41 31 0.3 0.3 1.6 1.4 1.1

Vermont 1 6 2 7 6 0.2 1.0 0.3 1.1 1.0

Virginia 289 303 354 274 410 3.6 3.7 4.3 3.3 4.9

Washington 146 181 204 198 293 2.1 2.6 2.9 2.8 4.1

West Virginia 0 10 10 23 40 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.2 2.2

Wisconsin 57 86 62 91 95 1.0 1.5 1.1 1.6 1.7

Wyoming 0 2 1 1 1 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2

U.S. TOTAL 13,136 14,503 16,929 19,452 24,173 4.2 4.6 5.4 6.1 7.6

Northeast 2,442 2,631 3,521 3,989 4,808 4.4 4.7 6.3 7.1 8.6

Midwest 1,319 1,556 1,970 2,184 2,499 2.0 2.3 2.9 3.2 3.7

South 6,545 6,851 7,476 8,491 10,711 5.6 5.8 6.3 7.1 8.9

West 2,830 3,465 3,962 4,788 6,155 3.9 4.7 5.3 6.4 8.2

Guam 4 1 3 1 2 2.5 0.6 1.9 0.6 1.2

Puerto Rico 211 222 270 375 565 5.7 6.1 7.5 10.6 15.9

Virgin Islands 0 0 2 0 7 0.0 0.0 1.9 0.0 6.7

OUTLYING AREAS 215 223 275 376 574 5.4 5.7 7.1 9.9 15.1

TOTAL 13,351 14,726 17,204 19,828 24,747 4.2 4.6 5.4 6.1 7.7
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 125

Table 37. Early Latent Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)* in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 352 491 672 863 1,067 6.5 9.0 12.2 15.4 19.0

Austin-Round Rock, TX 137 170 220 207 242 7.7 9.3 11.7 10.7 12.5

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 198 206 216 296 344 7.3 7.5 7.8 10.6 12.3

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 90 74 71 46 60 7.9 6.5 6.2 4.0 5.2

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 176 158 278 208 235 3.8 3.4 5.9 4.4 5.0

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 7 11 15 19 37 0.6 1.0 1.3 1.7 3.3

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 103 70 74 129 206 4.6 3.0 3.2 5.4 8.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 531 630 751 734 814 5.6 6.6 7.9 7.7 8.5

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 67 78 70 98 92 3.2 3.7 3.3 4.6 4.3

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 25 13 14 31 37 1.2 0.6 0.7 1.5 1.8

Columbus, OH 37 49 71 82 130 1.9 2.5 3.6 4.1 6.5

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 500 604 550 644 932 7.6 9.0 8.1 9.3 13.4

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 139 177 166 145 175 5.3 6.7 6.2 5.3 6.4

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 82 113 152 163 206 1.9 2.6 3.5 3.8 4.8

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 18 9 19 16 31 1.5 0.7 1.6 1.3 2.6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 351 419 348 444 522 5.8 6.8 5.5 6.8 8.0

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 66 102 104 91 143 3.5 5.3 5.3 4.6 7.3

Jacksonville, FL 50 57 73 69 162 3.7 4.1 5.2 4.9 11.4

Kansas City, MO-KS 40 61 111 132 133 2.0 3.0 5.4 6.4 6.4

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 162 207 218 375 413 8.2 10.3 10.8 18.1 20.0

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,132 1,393 1,520 1,619 2,052 8.7 10.7 11.6 12.2 15.5

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 41 72 85 82 90 3.3 5.8 6.7 6.5 7.1

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 180 188 188 143 195 13.5 14.0 14.0 10.6 14.5

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 682 831 885 1,094 1,220 12.0 14.4 15.2 18.4 20.6

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 33 57 43 69 66 2.1 3.6 2.7 4.4 4.2

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 112 91 131 155 170 3.3 2.7 3.8 4.4 4.9

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 37 50 62 83 82 2.2 2.9 3.5 4.6 4.6

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 109 90 81 122 171 9.0 7.3 6.5 9.7 13.7

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,569 1,668 2,299 2,681 3,210 8.0 8.4 11.5 13.3 16.0

Oklahoma City, OK 65 79 124 107 114 5.1 6.1 9.4 8.0 8.5

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 142 136 175 180 266 6.5 6.1 7.7 7.8 11.5

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 398 408 497 512 616 6.6 6.8 8.2 8.5 10.2

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 153 120 150 240 268 3.6 2.8 3.4 5.3 6.0

Pittsburgh, PA 30 46 45 63 111 1.3 1.9 1.9 2.7 4.7

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 58 101 117 124 170 2.6 4.4 5.1 5.3 7.2

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 26 35 28 64 48 1.6 2.2 1.7 4.0 3.0

Raleigh, NC 35 31 41 77 115 3.0 2.6 3.4 6.2 9.3

Richmond, VA 68 78 75 68 98 5.6 6.3 6.0 5.4 7.8

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 144 138 159 223 311 3.3 3.2 3.6 5.0 7.0

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 51 38 33 74 137 2.3 1.7 1.5 3.3 6.1

Salt Lake City, UT 7 7 37 31 23 0.6 0.6 3.2 2.7 2.0

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 252 269 381 308 258 11.5 12.0 16.7 13.2 11.1

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 162 236 211 299 343 5.2 7.4 6.6 9.2 10.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 396 528 656 839 964 9.0 11.9 14.5 18.3 21.0

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 35 44 60 58 96 1.9 2.3 3.1 3.0 4.9

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 134 142 167 143 221 3.8 4.0 4.6 3.9 6.0

St. Louis, MO-IL 84 89 125 139 138 3.0 3.2 4.5 5.0 4.9

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 139 176 176 227 258 4.9 6.2 6.1 7.8 8.8

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 108 90 112 90 167 6.4 5.3 6.6 5.2 9.7

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 403 497 520 286 320 7.0 8.5 8.7 4.7 5.3

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 9,916 11,427 13,376 14,992 18,279 5.9 6.7 7.7 8.6 10.5

* MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
126 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 38. Late and Late Latent Syphilis* — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/

Area and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 252 248 292 167 197 5.2 5.1 6.0 3.4 4.1

Alaska 3 14 3 5 3 0.4 1.9 0.4 0.7 0.4

Arizona 431 424 455 558 532 6.6 6.5 6.9 8.3 7.9

Arkansas 100 132 175 110 145 3.4 4.5 5.9 3.7 4.9

California 2,269 2,509 3,539 4,110 4,966 6.0 6.6 9.2 10.6 12.8

Colorado 80 101 117 5 96 1.6 1.9 2.2 0.1 1.8

Connecticut 67 14 22 21 30 1.9 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.8

Delaware 48 29 63 30 21 5.3 3.2 6.8 3.2 2.2

District of Columbia 164 180 196 23 26 26.5 28.5 30.3 3.5 3.9

Florida 1,641 1,693 1,934 2,429 2,723 8.6 8.8 9.9 12.2 13.7

Georgia 771 842 1,090 1,055 1,245 7.9 8.5 10.9 10.4 12.3

Hawaii 13 11 19 13 14 0.9 0.8 1.4 0.9 1.0

Idaho 18 6 21 22 21 1.1 0.4 1.3 1.3 1.3

Illinois 946 902 1,031 1,087 1,285 7.4 7.0 8.0 8.4 10.0

Indiana 200 159 171 170 189 3.1 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.9

Iowa 39 58 57 84 88 1.3 1.9 1.8 2.7 2.8

Kansas 18 51 61 48 0 0.6 1.8 2.1 1.7 0.0

Kentucky 95 99 102 117 123 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.7 2.8

Louisiana 1,090 1,065 1,267 1,180 1,277 23.8 23.1 27.4 25.4 27.5

Maine 4 3 5 0 0 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0

Maryland 470 439 504 481 749 8.1 7.5 8.5 8.0 12.5

Massachusetts 271 258 276 227 486 4.1 3.9 4.1 3.4 7.2

Michigan 338 334 368 416 393 3.4 3.4 3.7 4.2 4.0

Minnesota 107 120 209 215 220 2.0 2.2 3.9 3.9 4.0

Mississippi 238 53 31 116 136 8.0 1.8 1.0 3.9 4.5

Missouri 153 133 135 178 220 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.9 3.6

Montana 1 1 1 0 2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2

Nebraska 23 18 40 26 31 1.2 1.0 2.1 1.4 1.6

Nevada 125 117 84 142 133 4.6 4.2 3.0 5.0 4.7

New Hampshire 10 19 30 21 28 0.8 1.4 2.3 1.6 2.1

New Jersey 282 243 196 263 220 3.2 2.7 2.2 2.9 2.5

New Mexico 85 64 100 80 141 4.1 3.1 4.8 3.8 6.8

New York 2,436 2,667 2,758 3,073 2,975 12.5 13.6 14.0 15.6 15.1

North Carolina 485 444 509 791 783 5.0 4.6 5.2 8.0 7.9

North Dakota 3 10 11 16 14 0.4 1.4 1.5 2.2 1.9

Ohio 341 526 431 381 445 3.0 4.6 3.7 3.3 3.8

Oklahoma 39 27 28 59 83 1.0 0.7 0.7 1.5 2.1

Oregon 92 117 133 159 218 2.4 3.0 3.4 4.0 5.5

Pennsylvania 335 365 431 346 356 2.6 2.9 3.4 2.7 2.8

Rhode Island 18 25 27 40 48 1.7 2.4 2.6 3.8 4.5

South Carolina 73 56 66 28 41 1.6 1.2 1.4 0.6 0.8

South Dakota 14 8 12 16 21 1.7 1.0 1.4 1.9 2.5

Tennessee 483 545 497 502 575 7.5 8.4 7.7 7.7 8.8

Texas 3,312 3,585 3,593 4,110 4,047 12.9 13.8 13.6 15.2 15.0

Utah 42 51 51 61 73 1.5 1.8 1.8 2.1 2.5

Vermont 0 0 5 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0

Virginia 224 317 329 137 276 2.8 3.9 4.0 1.6 3.3

Washington 236 226 223 310 366 3.5 3.3 3.2 4.4 5.2

West Virginia 5 6 14 4 17 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.2 0.9

Wisconsin 80 91 100 108 88 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.9 1.5

Wyoming 6 6 7 1 4 1.1 1.0 1.2 0.2 0.7

U.S. TOTAL 18,576 19,411 21,819 23,541 26,170 6.0 6.2 6.9 7.4 8.2

Northeast 3,423 3,594 3,750 3,991 4,143 6.2 6.4 6.7 7.1 7.4

Midwest 2,262 2,410 2,626 2,745 2,994 3.4 3.6 3.9 4.1 4.4

South 9,490 9,760 10,690 11,339 12,464 8.2 8.3 9.0 9.5 10.4

West 3,401 3,647 4,753 5,466 6,569 4.7 5.0 6.4 7.3 8.7

Guam 17 20 14 5 16 10.7 12.5 8.7 3.1 9.9

Puerto Rico 204 175 154 101 166 5.5 4.8 4.3 2.8 4.7

Virgin Islands 7 2 5 4 10 6.6 1.9 4.8 3.8 9.6

OUTLYING AREAS 228 197 173 110 192 5.7 5.0 4.5 2.9 5.0

TOTAL 18,804 19,608 21,992 23,651 26,362 6.0 6.2 6.9 7.3 8.2

* Late and late latent syphilis includes late latent syphilis, latent syphilis of unknown duration, and late syphilis with clinical manifestations (including late benign 

syphilis and cardiovascular syphilis).
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 127

Table 39. Late and Late Latent Syphilis* — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases in Selected 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)† in Alphabetical Order, United States, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

MSAs 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 611 573 782 804 926 11.4 10.5 14.2 14.3 16.5

Austin-Round Rock, TX 168 154 134 246 175 9.4 8.4 7.1 12.7 9.0

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 196 203 218 225 306 7.2 7.4 7.9 8.1 11.0

Birmingham-Hoover, AL 95 79 96 53 62 8.4 7.0 8.4 4.6 5.4

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 240 207 211 158 303 5.2 4.5 4.5 3.3 6.4

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 27 32 62 62 51 2.4 2.8 5.5 5.5 4.5

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 116 122 151 180 190 5.1 5.3 6.5 7.6 8.0

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 866 853 963 988 1,169 9.1 9.0 10.1 10.3 12.2

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 131 275 191 124 129 6.2 12.9 8.9 5.8 6.0

Cleveland-Elyria, OH 70 82 64 88 120 3.4 4.0 3.1 4.3 5.8

Columbus, OH 76 101 98 101 105 3.9 5.2 5.0 5.1 5.3

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 982 1,132 1,081 1,065 837 14.9 16.9 15.9 15.3 12.0

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 64 74 81 0 59 2.5 2.8 3.0 0.0 2.1

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 229 252 277 299 274 5.3 5.9 6.4 7.0 6.4

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 22 3 10 10 8 1.8 0.2 0.8 0.8 0.7

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,166 1,265 1,154 1,430 1,592 19.2 20.5 18.3 22.0 24.5

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 113 84 90 83 93 5.9 4.4 4.6 4.2 4.7

Jacksonville, FL 89 73 75 128 179 6.5 5.3 5.4 9.0 12.6

Kansas City, MO-KS 44 38 54 54 40 2.2 1.9 2.6 2.6 1.9

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 111 98 54 133 102 5.6 4.9 2.7 6.4 4.9

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,222 1,091 1,705 1,678 1,901 9.4 8.4 13.0 12.7 14.3

Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 51 48 52 70 92 4.1 3.8 4.1 5.5 7.2

Memphis, TN-MS-AR 279 291 283 236 256 20.9 21.7 21.1 17.6 19.1

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 984 1,032 1,075 1,370 1,519 17.4 17.9 18.4 23.1 25.6

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 49 59 56 63 42 3.1 3.8 3.6 4.0 2.7

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 87 105 175 187 192 2.6 3.1 5.1 5.4 5.5

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN 107 133 120 148 161 6.3 7.7 6.8 8.3 9.0

New Orleans-Metairie, LA 457 386 442 370 362 37.7 31.5 35.6 29.6 28.9

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 2,550 2,679 2,707 3,052 2,909 13.0 13.5 13.6 15.2 14.5

Oklahoma City, OK 10 15 11 31 32 0.8 1.2 0.8 2.3 2.4

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 166 192 250 362 343 7.6 8.6 11.0 15.6 14.8

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 325 338 439 311 314 5.4 5.6 7.3 5.1 5.2

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 299 332 335 397 393 7.0 7.7 7.6 8.8 8.8

Pittsburgh, PA 13 21 11 13 11 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.5

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 72 99 118 140 154 3.2 4.3 5.1 6.0 6.6

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 30 32 45 47 71 1.9 2.0 2.8 2.9 4.4

Raleigh, NC 68 63 68 109 124 5.8 5.3 5.6 8.8 10.0

Richmond, VA 36 51 58 9 36 3.0 4.1 4.7 0.7 2.9

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 201 465 433 432 508 4.7 10.7 9.9 9.7 11.4

Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 69 59 107 134 203 3.2 2.7 4.8 6.0 9.0

Salt Lake City, UT 32 33 34 39 50 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.4 4.3

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 286 366 457 448 483 13.0 16.4 20.1 19.2 20.7

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 154 144 245 310 366 4.9 4.5 7.6 9.5 11.2

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 244 321 421 497 550 5.6 7.2 9.3 10.8 12.0

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 54 84 69 125 128 2.9 4.4 3.6 6.4 6.6

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 177 169 161 211 224 5.1 4.8 4.5 5.7 6.1

St. Louis, MO-IL 94 95 104 119 165 3.4 3.4 3.7 4.2 5.9

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 175 171 227 254 297 6.2 6.0 7.9 8.7 10.2

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 40 100 86 45 90 2.4 5.9 5.0 2.6 5.2

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 536 517 599 295 500 9.3 8.8 10.1 4.9 8.3

SELECTED MSAs TOTAL 14,283 15,191 16,739 17,733 19,196 8.4 8.9 9.7 10.1 11.0

* Late and late latent syphilis includes late latent syphilis, latent syphilis of unknown duration, and late syphilis with clinical manifestations (including late benign 

syphilis and cardiovascular syphilis).

†

 MSAs were selected on the basis of the largest population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
128 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 40. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State†, Ranked 

by Rates, United States, 2015

Rank* State† Cases Rate per 100,000 Live Births

1 Louisiana 53 83.9

2 California 141 28.5

3 Maryland 18 25.0

4 Nevada 8 22.8

5 Illinois 30 19.1

6 Florida 38 17.6

7 Arizona 14 16.4

8 Georgia 21 16.3

9 Oregon 6 13.3

10 Arkansas 5 13.2

11 Oklahoma 7 13.1

12 Texas 49 12.7

U.S. TOTAL‡ 487 12.4

13 Ohio 17 12.2

14 Hawaii 2 10.5

15 Michigan 11 9.7

16 Delaware 1 9.2

HP 2020 TARGET 9.1

17 New Mexico 2 7.6

18 North Carolina 9 7.6

19 Tennessee 5 6.3

20 Indiana 5 6.0

21 Washington 5 5.8

22 Massachusetts 4 5.6

23 South Carolina 3 5.3

24 Alabama 3 5.2

25 New York 12 5.1

26 Pennsylvania 7 5.0

27 Missouri 3 4.0

28 Virginia 3 2.9

29 Minnesota 2 2.9

30 Connecticut 1 2.8

31 Kentucky 1 1.8

Alaska 0 0.0

Colorado 0 0.0

Idaho 0 0.0

Iowa 0 0.0

Kansas 0 0.0

Maine 0 0.0

Mississippi 0 0.0

Montana 0 0.0

Nebraska 0 0.0

New Hampshire 0 0.0

New Jersey 0 0.0

North Dakota 0 0.0

Rhode Island 0 0.0

South Dakota 0 0.0

Utah 0 0.0

Vermont 0 0.0

West Virginia 0 0.0

Wisconsin 0 0.0

Wyoming 0 0.0

* States were ranked by rate, then by case count, then in alphabetical order, with rates shown rounded to the nearest tenth.

†

 Mother’s state of residence was used to assign case.

‡ Total includes cases reported by the District of Columbia, with 1 case, but excludes outlying areas (Guam with 1 case, Puerto Rico with 5 cases, and Virgin Islands 

with 0 cases).
STD Surveillance 2015 Syphilis Tables 129

Table 41. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by Year of Birth, 

by State/Area* and Region in Alphabetical Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 

2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area* 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 10 4 2 3 3 16.8 6.8 3.4 5.2 5.2

Alaska 0 1 1 0 0 0.0 8.9 8.7 0.0 0.0

Arizona 15 14 13 13 14 17.5 16.2 15.2 15.2 16.4

Arkansas 15 11 12 7 5 38.7 28.7 31.7 18.5 13.2

California 40 35 58 102 141 8.0 6.9 11.7 20.6 28.5

Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Connecticut 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.8

Delaware 0 1 1 0 1 0.0 9.1 9.2 0.0 9.2

District of Columbia 1 0 2 0 1 10.8 0.0 21.5 0.0 10.8

Florida 33 37 35 48 38 15.5 17.4 16.2 22.3 17.6

Georgia 10 16 20 17 21 7.6 12.3 15.5 13.2 16.3

Hawaii 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.5

Idaho 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 4.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

Illinois 18 28 23 27 30 11.2 17.6 14.7 17.2 19.1

Indiana 0 0 0 8 5 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.6 6.0

Iowa 0 0 0 1 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.6 0.0

Kansas 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kentucky 2 2 4 3 1 3.6 3.6 7.2 5.4 1.8

Louisiana 18 33 40 46 53 29.1 52.7 63.3 72.8 83.9

Maine 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Maryland 24 12 14 16 18 32.8 16.5 19.5 22.2 25.0

Massachusetts 0 1 4 3 4 0.0 1.4 5.6 4.2 5.6

Michigan 8 7 9 15 11 7.0 6.2 7.9 13.2 9.7

Minnesota 0 1 0 0 2 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 2.9

Mississippi 6 0 0 1 0 15.1 0.0 0.0 2.6 0.0

Missouri 1 1 3 1 3 1.3 1.3 4.0 1.3 4.0

Montana 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Nebraska 0 1 0 1 0 0.0 3.9 0.0 3.8 0.0

Nevada 3 1 2 5 8 8.5 2.9 5.7 14.3 22.8

New Hampshire 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Jersey 5 1 0 0 0 4.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Mexico 0 1 2 1 2 0.0 3.7 7.6 3.8 7.6

New York 13 8 11 22 12 5.4 3.3 4.6 9.3 5.1

North Carolina 6 2 4 6 9 5.0 1.7 3.4 5.0 7.6

North Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Ohio 13 19 18 15 17 9.4 13.7 13.0 10.8 12.2

Oklahoma 2 0 0 6 7 3.8 0.0 0.0 11.2 13.1

Oregon 0 1 0 2 6 0.0 2.2 0.0 4.4 13.3

Pennsylvania 5 6 3 4 7 3.5 4.2 2.1 2.8 5.0

Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

South Carolina 0 7 1 5 3 0.0 12.2 1.8 8.8 5.3

South Dakota 0 0 0 3 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.5 0.0

Tennessee 8 2 2 2 5 10.1 2.5 2.5 2.5 6.3

Texas 99 78 74 74 49 26.2 20.4 19.1 19.1 12.7

Utah 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Vermont 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Virginia 0 1 3 2 3 0.0 1.0 2.9 2.0 2.9

Washington 2 0 0 2 5 2.3 0.0 0.0 2.3 5.8

West Virginia 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wisconsin 1 0 0 0 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wyoming 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

U.S. TOTAL 358 334 361 461 487 9.1 8.4 9.2 11.7 12.4

Northeast 23 17 18 29 24 3.6 2.7 2.9 4.6 3.8

Midwest 41 57 53 71 68 4.9 6.8 6.4 8.5 8.2

South 234 206 214 236 217 15.5 13.7 14.2 15.6 14.4

West 60 54 76 125 178 6.2 5.5 7.9 13.0 18.5

Guam 0 0 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 30.4 0.0 30.4

Puerto Rico 2 1 2 0 5 4.9 2.6 5.5 0.0 13.7

Virgin Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

OUTLYING AREAS 2 1 3 0 6 4.4 2.3 7.3 0.0 14.6

TOTAL 360 335 364 461 493 9.0 8.4 9.2 11.6 12.4

* Mother’s state of residence was used to assign case.
130 Syphilis Tables STD Surveillance 2015

Table 42. Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases per 100,000 Live 

Births by Year of Birth and Race/Ethnicity of Mother, United States, 2011–2015

Year of Birth

Whites Blacks Hispanics

Asians/

Pacific 

Islanders

American 

Indians/

Alaska Natives

Other Unknown Total

Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates Cases Rates

2011 50 2.3 211 35.9 73 8.0 14 5.7 2 5.0 3 NA 5 NA 358 9.1

2012 50 2.3 189 32.1 80 8.8 6 2.3 2 5.1 3 NA 4 NA 334 8.4

2013 62 2.9 185 31.4 93 10.3 9 3.5 5 12.8 3 NA 4 NA 361 9.2

2014 79 3.7 227 38.6 112 12.4 18 7.0 5 12.8 9 NA 11 NA 461 11.7

2015 95 4.4 207 35.2 140 15.5 15 5.9 4 10.3 7 NA 19 NA 487 12.4

NA = Not applicable.
STD Surveillance 2015 Chancroid 131

Table 43. Chancroid — Reported Cases and Rates of Reported Cases by State/Area in Alphabetical 

Order, United States and Outlying Areas, 2011–2015

Cases Rates per 100,000 Population

State/Area 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Alabama 0 1 1 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Alaska 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Arizona 1 0 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Arkansas 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

California 1 7 6 4 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Connecticut 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Delaware 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Florida 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Hawaii 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Idaho 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Indiana 0 1 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Iowa 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kansas 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Louisiana 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Maine 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Maryland 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Massachusetts 2 1 2 1 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Michigan 1 2 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Minnesota 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Mississippi 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Missouri 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Montana 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Nebraska 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Nevada 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New York 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

North Carolina 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

North Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Ohio 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Oklahoma 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Oregon 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Pennsylvania 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

South Carolina 2 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

South Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Tennessee 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Texas 1 0 1 1 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Utah 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Vermont 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Virginia 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Washington 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

West Virginia 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wisconsin 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wyoming 0 0 0 0 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2

U.S. TOTAL 8 15 10 6 11 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Guam 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Puerto Rico 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Virgin Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

OUTLYING AREAS 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

TOTAL 8 15 10 6 11 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
132 Selected STDs STD Surveillance 2015

Table 44. Selected STDs and Complications — Initial Visits to Physicians’ Offices, National Disease 

and Therapeutic Index, United States, 1966–2014

Year

Genital Herpes 

Simplex Virus 

Infections Genital Warts

Trichomonas 

vaginalis 

Infections*

Other 

Vaginal 

Infections*

Pelvic 

Inflammatory

Disease†

1966 19,000 56,000 579,000 1,155,000 NA

1967 15,000 72,000 515,000 1,277,000 NA

1968 16,000 87,000 463,000 1,460,000 NA

1969 15,000 61,000 421,000 1,390,000 NA

1970 17,000 119,000 529,000 1,500,000 NA

1971 49,000 128,000 484,000 1,281,000 NA

1972 26,000 165,000 574,000 1,810,000 NA

1973 51,000 198,000 466,000 1,858,000 NA

1974 75,000 202,000 427,000 1,907,000 NA

1975 36,000 181,000 500,000 1,919,000 NA

1976 57,000 217,000 473,000 1,690,000 NA

1977 116,000 221,000 324,000 1,713,000 NA

1978 76,000 269,000 329,000 2,149,000 NA

1979 83,000 200,000 363,000 1,662,000 NA

1980 57,000 218,000 358,000 1,670,000 423,000

1981 133,000 191,000 369,000 1,742,000 283,000

1982 134,000 256,000 268,000 1,859,000 374,000

1983 106,000 203,000 424,000 1,932,000 424,000

1984 157,000 224,000 381,000 2,450,000 381,000

1985 124,000 263,000 291,000 2,728,000 425,000

1986 136,000 275,000 338,000 3,118,000 457,000

1987 102,000 351,000 293,000 3,087,000 403,000

1988 163,000 290,000 191,000 3,583,000 431,000

1989 148,000 220,000 165,000 3,374,000 413,000

1990 172,000 275,000 213,000 4,474,000 358,000

1991 235,000 282,000 198,000 3,822,000 377,000

1992 139,000 218,000 182,000 3,428,000 335,000

1993 172,000 167,000 207,000 3,755,000 407,000

1994 142,000 239,000 199,000 4,123,000 332,000

1995 160,000 253,000 141,000 3,927,000 262,000

1996 208,000 191,000 245,000 3,472,000 286,000

1997 176,000 145,000 176,000 3,100,000 260,000

1998 188,000 211,000 164,000 3,200,000 233,000

1999 224,000 240,000 171,000 3,077,000 250,000

2000 179,000 220,000 222,000 3,470,000 254,000

2001 157,000 233,000 210,000 3,365,000 244,000

2002 216,000 266,000 150,000 3,315,000 197,000

2003 203,000 264,000 179,000 3,516,000 123,000

2004 269,000 316,000 221,000 3,602,000 132,000

2005 266,000 357,000 165,000 4,071,000 176,000

2006 371,000 422,000 200,000 3,891,000 106,000

2007 317,000 312,000 205,000 3,723,000 146,000

2008 292,000 385,000 204,000 3,571,000 104,000

2009 306,000 357,000 216,000 3,063,000 100,000

2010 232,000 376,000 149,000 3,192,000 113,000

2011 227,000 453,000 168,000 3,102,000 90,000

2012 228,000 353,000 219,000 3,452,000 106,000

2013 306,000 404,000 225,000 3,278,000 88,000

2014 299,000 465,000 155,000 3,419,000 51,000

* Women only. 

† Women aged 15–44 years only. 

NA = Not available.

NOTE: Standard errors for estimates under 100,000 are not available. The relative standard errors for estimates 100,000–299,999 are from 19% to 23%; 300,000–

599,999 are from 16% to 19%; 600,000–999,999 are from 13% to 16%; and 1,000,000–5,000,000 are from 7% to 13%.

SOURCE: National Disease and Therapeutic Index, IMS Health, Integrated Promotional Services. IMS Health report, 1966–2014. The 2015 data were not obtained in 

time to include them in this report. See Section A2.5 in the Appendix for more information.
STD Surveillance 2015 133 APPENDIX
134 STD Surveillance 2015 APPENDIX
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data 135

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015 presents 

surveillance information derived from the official statistics 

for the reported occurrence of nationally notifiable 

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United 

States, test positivity and prevalence data from numerous 

prevalence monitoring initiatives, sentinel surveillance, 

and national health care services surveys.

A1. Nationally Notifiable STD 

Surveillance

Nationally notifiable STD surveillance data are collected 

and compiled from reports sent by the STD control 

programs and health departments in all 50 states, the 

District of Columbia, selected cities, U.S. dependencies 

and possessions, and independent nations in free 

association with the United States to the Division of 

STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral 

Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC). Included among the 

dependencies, possessions, and independent nations are 

Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These entities 

are identified as “outlying areas” of the United States in 

selected figures and tables.

A1.1 Reporting Formats

STD morbidity data presented in this report are compiled 

from a combination of data reported on standardized hard 

copy reporting forms and electronic data received through 

the National Electronic Telecommunications System for 

Surveillance (NETSS).

Summary Report Forms

The following hard copy forms were used to report 

national STD morbidity data:

1. FORM CDC 73.998: Monthly Surveillance Report of 

Early Syphilis. This monthly hard copy reporting form 

was used during 1984–2002 to report summary data for 

primary and secondary syphilis and early latent syphilis 

by county and state.

2. FORM CDC 73.688: Sexually Transmitted Disease 

Morbidity Report. This quarterly hard copy reporting 

form was used during 1963–2002 to report summary 

data for all stages of syphilis, congenital syphilis, 

gonorrhea, chancroid, chlamydia, and other STDs by 

sex and source of report (private versus public) for all 

50 states, the District of Columbia, 64 selected cities 

(including San Juan, Puerto Rico), and outlying areas of 

the United States. 

Note: Chlamydial infection became a nationally 

notifiable condition in 1996, and the form was modified 

to support reporting of chlamydia that year. Congenital 

syphilis was dropped from this aggregate form in 1995 

and replaced by the case-specific CDC 73.126 form 

described later in this section.

3. FORM CDC 73.2638: Report of Civilian Cases of 

Primary & Secondary Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and 

Chlamydia by Reporting Source, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, 

and Age Group. This annual hard copy form was used 

during 1981–2002 to report summary data for P&S 

syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia by age, race, sex, 

and source (public versus private) for all 50 states, 

seven large cities (Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, 

Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and the 

District of Columbia), and outlying areas of the United 

States.

Note: Chlamydial infection became a nationally 

notifiable condition in 1995, and the form was modified 

to support reporting of chlamydia that year.

4. FORM CDC 73.126: Congenital Syphilis (CS) Case 

Investigation and Reporting. This case-specific hard 

copy form was first used in 1983 and continues to be 

used to report detailed case-specific data for congenital 

syphilis in some areas. 

National Electronic Telecommunications 

System for Surveillance 

Notifiable STD data reported electronically through the 

National Electronic Telecommunications System for 

Surveillance (NETSS) make up the nationally notifiable 

disease information published in CDC’s Morbidity and 

Mortality Weekly Report.

As of December 31, 2003, all 50 states and the District 

of Columbia had converted from summary hard copy 

reporting to electronic submission of line-listed (i.e., casespecific) STD data through NETSS (41 reporting areas 

submitted congenital syphilis surveillance data through 

NETSS in 2015). Puerto Rico converted to electronic 

reporting in 2006 for all STDs excluding congenital 

syphilis. Guam and the Virgin Islands continue to report 

STD data through summary hard copy forms.

Surveillance data and updates sent to CDC through 

NETSS and on hard copy forms through June 8, 2016, are 

included in this report. The data presented in the figures 

and tables in this report supersede those in all earlier 

publications.

A. Interpreting STD Surveillance Data
136 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data STD Surveillance 2015

A1.2 Population Denominators 

and Rate Calculations

2000–2015 Rates and Population 

For those figures and tables presenting race using the 1997 

OMB race standards, non-bridged-race data provided 

directly by the U.S. Census Bureau were used to calculate 

race. The latest available year for population estimates 

at the time this report was written was 2014. Thus, 2014 

population estimates were used to calculate 2015 rates. 

Once published, the 2015 population estimates will 

be used to calculate rates in the upcoming 2016 STD 

Surveillance Report.

Population estimates for Puerto Rico were obtained from 

the U.S. Census Bureau Web site at: https://factfinder.

census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. 

Population estimates for Guam and the Virgin Islands 

were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau International 

Programs Web site at: https://www.census.gov/population/

international/data/idb/informationGateway.php.

The 2015 rates by age and sex for Guam and the Virgin 

Islands were calculated using 2010 population estimates 

available at: https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/

pages/index.xhtml.

Because of the use of the updated population data, rates 

for 2000–2014 may be different from those presented in 

previous STD surveillance reports.

Several figures throughout this report depict state- or 

county-specific rates of reported cases of STDs. Rates 

were grouped and displayed by quartiles in Figures 3, 4, 

15, 16, 34, B, C, D, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, and O. Rates were 

grouped and displayed in 4 categories – zero cases and 

tertiles – in Figure 35 and Figure D.

1990–1999 Rates and Population

The population counts for 1990 through 1999 incorporated 

the bridged single-race estimates of the April 1, 2000, U.S. 

resident population. These files were prepared by the U.S. 

Census Bureau with support from the National Cancer 

Institute.

1981–1989 Rates and Population

Rates were calculated by using U.S. Census Bureau 

population estimates for 1981 through 1989.1,2

1941–1980 Rates and Population

Rates for 1941 through 1980 were based on population 

estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and are currently 

maintained by CDC’s Division of STD Prevention.

1941–2015 Congenital Syphilis Rates and 

Live Births

The congenital syphilis data in Table 1 of this report 

represent the number of congenital syphilis cases per 

100,000 live births for all years during 1941–2015. 

Previous publications presented congenital syphilis 

rates per 100,000 population during 1941–1994 and 

rates for cases diagnosed at younger than 1 year of age 

per 100,000 live births during 1995–2005. To allow for 

trends in congenital syphilis rates to be compared for the 

period 1941 through 2015, live births now are used as the 

denominator for congenital syphilis, and case counts are 

no longer limited to those diagnosed within the first year 

of life. Congenital syphilis morbidity is assigned by year 

of birth. Rates of congenital syphilis for 1963 through 

1988 were calculated by using published live birth data.3

Congenital syphilis rates for 1989 through 2013 were 

calculated by using live birth data based on information 

coded by the states and provided to the NCHS through the 

Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Rates for 2014 and 

2015 were calculated by using live birth data for 2013.

A1.3 Reporting Practices

Although most state and local STD programs generally 

adhere to the national notifiable STD case definitions 

collaboratively developed by the Council of State and 

Territorial Epidemiologists and CDC, differences in 

policies and systems for collecting surveillance data 

may exist. Thus, comparisons of case numbers and rates 

between jurisdictions should be interpreted with caution. 

However, because case definitions and surveillance 

activities within a given area remain relatively stable 

over time, trends should be minimally affected by these 

differences.

A1.4 Reporting of Surveillance 

Data by Metropolitan Statistical 

Area

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015 continues 

the presentation of STD incidence data and rates for 

the 50 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with the 

largest populations according to 2010 census data. STD 

surveillance reports published before 2005 presented data 

by selected cities; these data were derived from county 

data, which were used to estimate city-specific disease 

rates. Because county data were used to estimate cityspecific morbidity and because current STD project areas’ 

reporting practices do not support direct identification 

of city-specific morbidity reports, MSAs were chosen 

as a geographic unit smaller than a state or territory for 

presentation of STD morbidity data.

MSAs are defined by the OMB to provide nationally 

consistent definitions for collecting, tabulating, and 
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data 137

publishing federal statistics for a set of geographic 

areas.4 An MSA is associated with at least one urbanized 

area that has a population of at least 50,000. The MSA 

comprises the central county or counties containing the 

central county, plus adjacent, outlying counties that have 

a high degree of social and economic integration with the 

central county as measured through commuting. The title 

of an MSA includes the name of the principal city with 

the largest 2010 census population. If there are multiple 

principal cities, the names of the second largest and 

third largest principal cities appear in the title in order of 

descending population size.

The MSA concept has been used as a statistical 

representation of the social and economic links between 

urban cores and outlying, integrated areas. However, 

MSAs do not equate to an urban-rural classification; all 

counties included in MSAs and many other counties 

contain both urban and rural territory and populations. 

STD programs that treat all parts of an MSA as if they 

were as urban as the densely settled core ignore the rural 

conditions that may exist in some parts of the area. In 

short, MSAs are not intended to be a general purpose 

geographic framework for nonstatistical activities or for 

use in program funding formulas.

For more information on the MSA definitions used in this 

report, go to: https://www.census.gov/population/metro/

data/metrodef.html. 

A1.5 Reporting of Data for Race/

Ethnicity

In April 2008, the NETSS record layout was updated 

to conform to the OMB’s current government-wide 

standard for race/ethnicity data. The OMB standards 

were first issued in 1997.5 Beginning with the publication 

of Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012, the 

race/ethnicity data are presented according to the current 

standard categories: American Indian or Alaska Native, 

Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, 

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White and 

Multirace. For this report, jurisdictions are considered to 

be OMB compliant for a condition if ≥97% of cases for 

that condition are reported using current OMB standards. 

As of reporting year 2015, 1 jurisdiction (the District 

of Columbia) was not compliant with the current OMB 

race/ethnicity standards when reporting chlamydia and 

gonorrhea. Only two jurisdictions (Utah and the District of 

Columbia) were not compliant with the current OMB race/

ethnicity standards when reporting primary and secondary 

syphilis.

For chlamydia and gonorrhea figures showing trends for 

2011–2015, data are included for all jurisdictions except 

six not consistently reporting race/ethnicity data according 

to the current standard categories for the five consecutive 

years (Alaska, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North 

Carolina and the District of Columbia). For primary and 

secondary syphilis figures showing trends for 2011– 

2015, data are included for all jurisdictions except six not 

consistently reporting race/ethnicity data according to the 

current standard categories for the five consecutive years 

(Alaska, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Utah, and 

the District of Columbia).

A1.6 Management of Unknown, 

Missing, or Invalid Data for Age 

Group, Race/Ethnicity, and Sex

The percentage of unknown, missing, or invalid data for 

age group, race/ethnicity, and sex varies from year to year, 

state to state, and by disease for reported STDs (Table A1).

Prior to the publication of Sexually Transmitted Disease 

Surveillance 2010, when the percentage of unknown, 

missing, or invalid values for age group, race/ethnicity, 

and sex exceeded 50% for any state, the state’s incidence 

and population data were excluded from the tables that 

presented data stratified by one or more of these variables. 

For the states for which 50% or more of their data were 

valid for age group, race/ethnicity, and sex, the values for 

unknown, missing, or invalid data were redistributed on 

the basis of the state’s distribution of known age group, 

race/ethnicity, and sex data. Beginning with the publication 

of Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2010, 

redistribution methodology is not applied to any of the 

data. The counts presented in this report are summations of 

all valid data reported in reporting year 2015.

As a result, rate data that are stratified by one or more of 

these variables reflect rates based on reported data only.

A1.7 Classification of STD 

Morbidity Reporting Sources

Before 1996, states classified the source of case reports 

as either private source (including private physicians, 

hospitals, and institutions) or public source (primarily 

STD clinics). As states began reporting morbidity data 

electronically in 1996, the classification categories for 

source of case reports expanded to include the following 

data sources: STD clinics, HIV counseling and testing 

sites, drug treatment clinics, family planning clinics, 

prenatal/obstetrics clinics, tuberculosis clinics, private 

physicians/health maintenance organizations (HMOs), 

hospitals (inpatient), emergency rooms, correctional 

facilities, laboratories, blood banks, the National Job 

Training Program (NJTP), school-based clinics, mental 

health providers, the military, the Indian Health Service, 

and other unspecified sources. Figures 7, 8, 21, and 22 

display trends in the proportion of cases reported in 2015 

categorized by reporting source. Categories displayed vary 
138 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data STD Surveillance 2015

across these figures and include the five most commonly 

reported sources for the population included in the figure, 

along with trends for all other reporting sources combined 

into the “All Other” category, and trends in the proportion 

of cases with unknown reporting source.

A1.8 Interpreting Chlamydia Case 

Reporting

Trends in rates of reported cases of chlamydia are 

influenced by changes in incidence of infection, as well as 

changes in diagnostic, screening, and reporting practices. 

As chlamydial infections are usually asymptomatic, the 

number of infections identified and reported can increase 

as more people are screened even when incidence is flat 

or decreasing. Expanded use of more sensitive diagnostic 

tests (e.g., nucleic acid amplification tests, [NAATs]) 

can also increase the number of infections identified and 

reported independent of increases in incidence. Although 

chlamydia has been a nationally notifiable condition 

since 1994, it was not until 2000 that all 50 states and 

the District of Columbia required reporting of chlamydia 

cases. National case rates prior to 2000 reflect incomplete 

reporting. Additionally, increasing use of electronic 

laboratory reporting has likely increased the proportion 

of diagnosed cases that are reported. Consequently, an 

increasing chlamydia case rate may reflect increases in 

incidence of infection, screening coverage, and use of 

more sensitive tests, as well as more complete reporting. 

Likewise, decreases in chlamydia case rates may suggest 

decreases in incidence of infection or screening coverage.

A1.9 Syphilis Morbidity Reporting

The category of “total syphilis” or “all stages of syphilis” 

includes primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, early 

latent syphilis, late latent syphilis, and late syphilis with 

clinical manifestations (including late benign syphilis and 

cardiovascular syphilis), and congenital syphilis.

Although neurosyphilis can occur at almost any stage of 

syphilis, during 1996–2005 it was classified and reported 

as one of several mutually exclusive stages of syphilis. 

Beginning in 2005, neurosyphilis was no longer classified 

or reported as a distinct stage of syphilis.

A1.10 Congenital Syphilis 

Morbidity Reporting

In 1988, the surveillance case definition for congenital 

syphilis was changed. This case definition has greater 

sensitivity than the former definition.6 In addition, many 

state and local STD programs have greatly enhanced active 

case finding for congenital syphilis since 1988. For these 

reasons, as well as because of increasing morbidity, the 

number of reported cases increased dramatically during 

1989–1991. All reporting areas had implemented the 

new case definition for reporting congenital syphilis by 

January 1, 1992. In addition to changing the case definition 

for congenital syphilis, CDC introduced a new data 

collection form (CDC 73.126) in 1990 (revised February 

2013). Since 1995, the data collected on this form have 

been used for reporting congenital syphilis cases and 

associated rates. This form is used to collect individual 

case information, which allows more thorough analysis 

of case characteristics. For the purpose of analyzing race/

ethnicity, cases are classified by the race/ethnicity of the 

mother. Similarly, since 1995, congenital syphilis cases are 

reported by state and city of residence of the mother.

Congenital syphilis reporting may be delayed as a result of 

case investigation and validation. Cases for previous years 

are added to CDC’s surveillance databases throughout the 

year. Congenital syphilis data reported after publication of 

the current annual STD surveillance report will appear in 

subsequent reports and are assigned by the case patient’s 

year of birth.

A2. Other Sources of Surveillance 

Data

A2.1 National Job Training Program 

Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence was calculated 

for men and women entering the National Job Training 

Program (NJTP). To increase the stability of the estimates, 

chlamydia or gonorrhea prevalence data are presented 

when valid test results for 100 or more students per 

year are available for the population subgroup and state. 

The majority of NJTP’s chlamydia screening tests are 

conducted by a single national contract laboratory, which 

provides these data to CDC. Gonorrhea screening tests 

for male and female students in many training centers 

are conducted by local laboratories; these data are not 

available to CDC. Test results for students at centers that 

submit specimens to the national contract laboratory are 

included only if the number of gonorrhea tests submitted 

is greater than 90% of the number of chlamydia tests 

submitted from the same center for the same period. 

Prevalence data for state-specific figures were published 

with permission from the Department of Labor. Prevalence 

data are presented in figures L, M, N, and O.

A2.2 STD Surveillance Network 

In 2005, CDC established the STD Surveillance Network 

(SSuN) as a collaborative network of state, county and/

or city health departments following protocols to conduct 

sentinel and enhanced STD surveillance activities. The 

purpose of SSuN is to improve the capacity of national, 

state and local STD programs to detect, monitor, and 

respond to trends in STDs through enhanced collection, 

reporting, analysis, visualization, and interpretation of 

disease information.
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data 139

Cycle 3 (2013–2018) of SSuN provides funding to 10 

jurisdictions to conduct two core STD surveillance 

activities including; (1) sentinel facility component 

providing clinical and demographic information on 

a full census of patients attending categorical STD 

clinics and women aged 15–44 years presenting for 

care in reproductive health settings, and, (2) population 

component conducting enhanced health department lookback, provider and patient investigations on a probability 

sample of all persons diagnosed and reported with 

gonorrhea. Funded areas for both core activities in SSuN 

Cycle 3 include Baltimore City [Maryland], California, 

Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Multnomah County 

[Oregon], Philadelphia City [Pennsylvania], New York 

City [New York], San Francisco County [California] and 

Washington State. 

In both the facility and population components of SSuN 

Cycle 3, unique patients can be anonymously identified 

using non-identifying IDs to provide longitudinal 

information. In the facility component, the primary unit of 

analysis is the patient visit, which is merged with multiple 

laboratory, diagnostic and treatment observations. In 

the population component, the primary unit analysis is a 

reported episode of gonorrhea for a unique person merged 

with multiple laboratory observations, health department 

disease registry history, provider-based clinical information 

and patient demographic and behavioral interview data. 

For analysis in the population component, cases in the 

probability sample are weighted to reflect study design and 

to adjust for non-response by demographic category of the 

patient. Weighted analyses provides estimates of case and 

person characteristics representative of all reported cases 

in the collaborating jurisdictions.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 

(collectively referred to as MSM) are defined in all SSuN 

data collection activities as men who either reported 

having sex with another man in the preceding 2–3 months, 

report current history of male sex partners, and/or those 

who reported that they considered themselves gay/

homosexual or bisexual. Men who have sex with women 

(MSW) are defined as men who reported having sex with 

women only, or who did not report the sex of their sex 

partners but reported that they considered themselves to be 

straight/heterosexual.

Data points presented in this report for 2015 from the 

facility component SSuN (Figures 9, 24, 49, W, X, and Y) 

are based on STD clinic data from 9 SSuN jurisdictions 

(Baltimore City [Maryland], California, Florida, 

Massachusetts, Multnomah County [Oregon], New York 

City [New York], Philadelphia City [Pennsylvania], San 

Francisco County [California] and Washington State). Data 

presented in the report from the population component of 

SSuN include Figure 23, which presents data collected 

June through December 2015 showing the proportion 

of cases attributable to MSM, MSW, and women for 7 

jurisdictions (Baltimore City [Maryland], California, 

Florida, New York City [New York], Philadelphia City 

[Pennsylvania], San Francisco County [California] and 

Washington State).

A2.3 Gonococcal Isolate 

Surveillance Project 

Data on antimicrobial susceptibility in Neisseria 

gonorrhoeae were collected through the Gonococcal 

Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), a sentinel system of 

selected STD clinics located at 25–30 GISP sentinel sites 

and 4–5 regional laboratories in the United States. For 

more details on findings from GISP, go to: https://www.

cdc.gov/std/GISP.

For 2015, the antimicrobial agents tested by GISP were 

ceftriaxone, cefixime, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, 

penicillin, tetracycline, and gentamicin.

The antimicrobial susceptibility criteria used in GISP for 

2015 are as follows:

• Ceftriaxone, minimum inhibitory concentration 

(MIC) ≥0.5 μg/ml (decreased susceptibility)*

• Ceftriaxone, MIC ≥0.125 μg/ml (elevated MICs)*

• Cefixime, MIC ≥0.5 μg/ml (decreased susceptibility)*

• Cefixime, MIC ≥0.25 μg/ml (elevated MICs)*

• Azithromycin, MIC ≥2.0 μg/ml (decreased 

susceptibility)*

• Ciprofloxacin, MIC ≥1.0 μg/ml (resistance)

• Ciprofloxacin, MIC 0.125–0.5 μg/ml (intermediate 

resistance)

• Penicillin, MIC ≥2.0 μg/ml (resistance)

• Tetracycline, MIC ≥2.0 μg/ml (resistance)

• Gentamicin (MIC values correlated with 

susceptibility and resistance have not been 

established).

The majority of these criteria are also recommended by the 

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).7

* The CLSI criteria for decreased susceptibility and resistance to ceftriaxone, 

cefixime, gentamicin, and azithromycin and for susceptibility to azithromycin 

have not been established for N. gonorrhoeae.

A2.4 National Health and Nutrition 

Examination Survey 

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

(NHANES) is a series of cross-sectional surveys designed 

to provide national statistics on the health and nutritional 

status of the general household population in the United 

States. Data are collected through household interviews, 
140 Appendix: Interpreting STD Surveillance Data STD Surveillance 2015

standardized physical examinations, and the collection of 

biological samples in special mobile examination centers. 

In 1999, NHANES became a continuous survey with data 

released every 2 years. The sampling plan of the survey 

is a stratified, multistage, probability cluster design that 

selects a sample representative of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population. For more information, see:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.

A2.5 National Disease and 

Therapeutic Index 

The information on the number of initial visits to private 

physicians’ offices for STDs was based on analysis of data 

from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index (NDTI) 

(machine-readable files or summary statistics for 1966 

through 2014; the 2015 NDTI data were not obtained in 

time to include them in this report). NDTI is a probability 

sample survey of private physicians’ clinical management 

practices. For more information on this database, contact 

IMS Health, e-mail: ServiceCenter@us.imshealth.com; 

Telephone: (800) 523-5334. 

1 U.S. Census Bureau. United States population estimates by age, sex and 

race: 1980–1988. In: Current population reports [Series P-25, No. 1045]. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1990.

2 U.S. Census Bureau. United States population estimates by age, sex and race: 

1989. In: Current population reports [Series P-25, No. 1057]. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1990.

3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital statistics of the United 

States 1988. vol.1 - natality. Hyattsville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services; 1990.

4 Office of Management and Budget. Standards for defining metropolitan and 

micropolitan statistical areas. Federal Register. 2000;65(249):82228-38.

5 Office of Management and Budget. Revisions to the Standards for 

Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. Federal Register Notice. 

October 30, 1997.

6 Kaufman RE, Jones OG, Blount JH, et al. Questionnaire survey of reported 

early congenital syphilis: problems in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. 

Sex Transm Dis. 1977;4:135-9.

7

 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Performance standards for 

antimicrobial susceptibility testing; twenty-fifth informational supplement. 

M100-S25, 35(3). Wayne (PA): Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 

2015. 
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: Percentage Unknown 141

Table A1. Selected STDs — Percentage of Unknown, Missing, or Invalid Values for Selected 

Variables by State and by Nationally Notifiable STD, 2015

Primary and Secondary Syphilis Gonorrhea Chlamydia

State

Percentage

Unknown

Race/

Ethnicity

Percentage

Unknown

Age

Percentage

Unknown

Sex

Percentage

Unknown

Sex

Partner

Percentage

Unknown

Race/

Ethnicity

Percentage

Unknown

Age

Percentage

Unknown

Sex

Percentage

Unknown

Race/

Ethnicity

Percentage

Unknown

Age

Percentage

Unknown

Sex

Alabama 0.4 0.0 0.0 26.1 23.0 0.0 0.7 29.5 0.0 0.5

Alaska* 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 9.4 0.1 0.1

Arizona 1.0 0.0 0.0 4.1 18.2 0.0 0.2 29.2 0.0 0.2

Arkansas 1.5 0.0 0.0 8.2 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.0

California 6.6 0.0 0.0 17.9 23.5 0.3 0.2 39.4 0.3 0.2

Colorado 2.9 0.0 0.0 7.8 23.9 0.0 0.0 39.9 0.0 0.0

Connecticut 0.0 0.0 0.0 23.9 34.9 0.1 0.0 64.2 0.1 0.8

Delaware 7.3 0.0 0.0 95.1 3.4 0.0 0.0 5.8 0.0 0.0

District of Columbia 100.0 0.0 6.3 100.0 100.0 0.5 1.9 100.0 0.6 2.0

Florida 3.9 0.0 0.0 10.0 7.9 0.0 0.0 16.2 0.0 0.1

Georgia 2.3 0.0 0.0 29.7 25.9 0.1 0.2 38.8 0.1 0.2

Hawaii 8.8 0.0 0.0 24.2 40.7 0.6 0.0 48.5 0.1 0.0

Idaho 3.5 0.0 0.0 3.5 27.1 0.0 0.0 36.0 0.0 0.1

Illinois 1.0 0.0 0.0 25.0 14.9 0.0 0.6 19.4 0.0 0.5

Indiana 0.7 0.0 0.0 2.5 5.1 0.0 0.1 9.2 0.0 0.0

Iowa 2.7 0.0 0.0 10.7 5.1 0.0 0.1 5.6 0.0 0.0

Kansas 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.7 22.2 0.0 0.0 42.0 0.0 0.0

Kentucky 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.4 22.9 0.0 0.1 30.6 0.1 0.2

Louisiana 2.2 0.0 0.0 14.2 9.0 0.0 0.0 9.3 0.0 0.0

Maine 17.9 0.0 0.0 21.4 21.8 0.2 0.0 42.1 0.2 0.0

Maryland 7.1 0.0 0.0 15.7 24.4 0.0 0.2 40.9 0.0 0.2

Massachusetts 10.8 0.0 0.5 12.0 33.3 0.3 0.6 57.6 0.1 0.4

Michigan 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.4 27.8 0.1 0.1 33.7 0.1 0.1

Minnesota 2.8 0.0 0.0 4.5 18.1 0.0 0.0 26.5 0.0 0.0

Mississippi 4.1 0.0 0.0 2.7 16.6 0.1 0.1 22.1 0.1 0.1

Missouri 0.3 0.0 0.0 6.5 8.7 0.0 0.0 14.4 0.0 0.0

Montana 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.7 3.3 0.2 0.1 3.2 0.2 0.0

Nebraska 4.4 0.0 0.0 33.3 14.1 0.1 0.0 28.9 0.0 0.2

Nevada 1.8 0.0 0.0 16.4 36.7 0.0 0.3 40.8 0.0 0.2

New Hampshire 2.5 0.0 0.0 12.5 14.7 0.0 0.0 26.5 0.0 0.0

New Jersey 2.4 0.0 0.0 26.9 34.2 0.6 0.1 48.7 0.4 0.1

New Mexico 21.2 0.0 0.0 6.8 19.4 0.0 0.0 25.7 0.0 0.0

New York 5.4 0.0 0.7 29.1 24.6 0.1 0.3 38.2 0.1 0.1

North Carolina 0.1 0.0 0.0 8.9 13.6 0.0 0.0 18.5 0.0 0.0

North Dakota 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.9 0.0 0.0 12.4 0.0 0.0

Ohio 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.2 22.0 0.1 0.0 28.2 0.1 0.0

Oklahoma 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 9.8 0.0 0.0 13.6 0.0 0.0

Oregon 7.8 0.0 0.0 24.9 12.2 0.0 0.0 28.1 0.0 0.0

Pennsylvania 6.1 0.0 0.2 9.9 22.7 0.0 0.1 32.8 0.0 0.1

Rhode Island 10.4 0.0 0.0 7.8 9.7 0.0 0.0 19.8 0.0 0.0

South Carolina 4.4 0.0 0.0 5.1 25.7 0.1 0.3 33.0 0.1 0.3

South Dakota 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.4 2.0 0.0 0.0 11.6 0.0 0.0

Tennessee 0.3 0.0 0.0 4.6 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 0.0 0.0

Texas 1.1 0.0 0.0 3.4 15.6 0.0 0.2 20.8 0.1 0.3

Utah 6.2 0.0 0.0 20.0 8.7 0.1 0.0 8.9 0.0 0.0

Vermont* 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.0

Virginia 2.4 0.0 0.3 6.3 17.7 0.1 0.1 27.7 0.1 0.1

Washington 2.5 0.0 0.2 3.8 11.8 0.0 0.0 20.2 0.1 0.0

West Virginia 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 12.4 0.0 0.0 22.3 0.0 0.0

Wisconsin 81.0 0.0 0.0 65.8 92.5 0.0 0.1 88.6 0.0 0.1

Wyoming* 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 23.4 0.0 0.6 30.4 0.0 0.3

U.S. TOTAL 4.4 0.0 0.1 15.5 19.8 0.1 0.2 29.3 0.1 0.2

* Percentages for primary and secondary syphilis are based on less than 10 cases.

NOTE: Unknown includes cases reported with unknown, missing, or invalid data values, and for race/ethnicity includes cases reported in non-OMB compliant 

categories.
142 Appendix: STD Reporting Source STD Surveillance 2015

Table A2. Reported Cases of STDs by Reporting Source and Sex, United States, 2015

Non-STD Clinic STD Clinic Total

Disease Male Female Total* Male Female Total* Male† Female† Total‡

Chlamydia 345,634 849,592 1,196,977 61,882 47,336 109,423 478,981 1,045,143 1,526,658

Gonorrhea 155,997 136,982 293,392 33,390 13,518 46,947 221,070 173,514 395,216

Primary Syphilis 4,953 427 5,384 1,639 87 1,726 7,134 560 7,700

Secondary Syphilis 10,559 1,356 11,926 2,794 270 3,067 14,413 1,738 16,172

Early Latent Syphilis 15,539 2,511 18,082 3,486 471 3,959 20,901 3,233 24,173

Late and Late Latent Syphilis§ 13,220 5,219 18,464 2,159 631 2,790 19,048 7,092 26,170

Chancroid 4 3 7 1 0 1 6 5 11

* Total includes cases reported with unknown sex.

†

 Total includes cases reported with unknown reporting source.

‡

 Total includes cases reported with unknown sex and reporting source.

§

 Late and late latent syphilis includes late latent syphilis and late syphilis with clinical manifestations (including late benign syphilis and cardiovascular syphilis).
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: National Objectives and Goals 143

B1. Healthy People 2020 

Objectives

For three decades, Healthy People has provided a 

comprehensive set of national 10-year health promotion 

and disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the 

health of all Americans.1 It is grounded in the principle that 

establishing objectives and providing benchmarks to track 

and monitor progress over time can motivate, guide, and 

focus action.

Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) continues in the tradition 

of its ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda for 

improving the Nation’s health. HP2020 is the result of a 

multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group 

of individuals and organizations. HP2020 is organized into 

42 topic areas, with more than 1,200 measures designed to 

drive action that will support its four overarching goals:

• Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable 

disease, disability, injury, and premature death.

• Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and 

improve the health of all groups.

• Create social and physical environments that promote 

good health for all.

• Promote quality of life, healthy development, and 

healthy behaviors across all life stages.

The topic area, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, contains 

objectives and measures related to STDs. Baselines, 

HP2020 targets, and annual progress toward the targets 

are reported in Table B1. The year 2020 targets for the 

diseases addressed in this report are as follows: primary 

and secondary (P&S) syphilis (males), 6.8 cases per 

100,000 males; P&S syphilis (females), 1.4 cases per 

100,000 females; congenital syphilis, 9.1 cases per 

100,000 live births; gonorrhea (females aged 15–44 years), 

257.0 cases per 100,000 females and gonorrhea (males 

aged 15–44 years), 198.0 cases per 100,000 males. The 

majority of the STD-related HP2020 targets were set using 

a standard percentage improvement with a standard default 

of a “10 percent improvement over the baseline.”

B2. Government Performance and 

Results Act of 1993

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 

of 1993 was enacted by Congress to increase confidence 

in the capability of the federal government to increase 

the effectiveness and accountability of federal programs, 

to improve service delivery, to provide federal agencies 

a uniform tool for internal management, and to help 

Congress make decisions.

GPRA requires each agency to have a performance 

plan with long-term outcomes and annual, measurable 

performance goals and to report on these plans annually, 

comparing results with annual goals. There are two GPRA 

goals for STD: reducing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) 

and eliminating congenital syphilis. Each of these goals 

has specific measures of progress, which are outlined in 

Table B2.

B. National Objectives and Goals

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2020 Web 

site. [Accessed on 8/12/2016] https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.
144 Appendix: Healthy People 2020 STD Surveillance 2015

Table B1. Healthy People 2020 (HP 2020) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Objectives

HP2020 Objectives Baseline 

Year Baseline 2013 2014 2015 2020 Target

1 Reduce the proportion of adolescents and young adults with 

Chlamydia trachomatis infections

a. Among females aged 15 to 24 years attending family planning clinics 2008 7.4% N/A N/A 8.6% 6.7%

b. Among females aged 24 years and under enrolled in a National Job 

 Training Program 2008 12.8% 11.7% 12.8% 12.7% 11.5%

c. Among males aged 24 years and under enrolled in a National Job 

 Training Program 2008 7.0% 7.4% 7.0% 7.5% 6.3%

2 Increase the proportion of sexually active females aged 24 

years and under enrolled in Medicaid plans who are screened 

for genital Chlamydia infections during the measurement year

a. Females aged 16 to 20 years 2008 52.7% 53.1% 52.3% N/A 70.9%

b. Females aged 21 to 24 years 2008 59.4% 64.1% 62.0% N/A 80.0%

3 Increase the proportion of sexually active females aged 24 

years and under enrolled in commercial health insurance plans 

who are screened for genital Chlamydia infections during the 

measurement year

a. Females aged 16 to 20 years 2008 40.1% 42.4% 42.7% N/A 61.3%

b. Females aged 21 to 24 years 2008 43.5% 51.2% 52.1% N/A 74.6%

4 Reduce the proportion of females aged 15 to 44 years who have ever 

required treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) 2006–2010 4.2% 3.6%* N/A N/A 3.8%

5 Reduce gonorrhea rates

a. Females aged 15 to 44 years 2008 279.9 250.6 248.1 263.4 251.9

b. Males aged 15 to 44 years 2008 216.5 239.4 262.8 307.6 194.8

6 Reduce sustained domestic transmission of primary and 

secondary syphilis 

a. Among females 2008 1.4 0.9 1.1 1.4 1.3

b. Among males 2008 7.4 10.3 11.6 13.7 6.7

7 Reduce congenital syphilis 2008 10.7 8.7 11.6 12.4 9.6

8 Reduce the proportion of young adults with genital herpes 

infection due to herpes simplex type 2 2005–2008 10.5% 8.5%† 8.3%‡ N/A 9.5%

HP2020 

Objective Data Source

1a STD Surveillance Network (SSuN), CDC

1b, 1c National Job Training Program (NJTP) 

2a, 2b Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

3a, 3b Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

4 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), CDC

5a, 5b National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), CDC

6a, 6b National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), CDC

7 National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), CDC

8 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC

NOTE: Data presented in this table reflect data reported to HP2020 in current and prior years. Data for years prior to 2015 may not match estimates presented in 

other sections of this report. More information about HP2020 is available at: https://www.healthypeople.gov/ 

*2011–2013

† 2009–2012

‡ 2011–2012
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: GPRA Goals 145

Table B2. Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Goals, 

Measures, and Target

GPRA Goals

Actual Target

2013 2014 2015 2016

Goal 1: Reduction in PID (as measured by initial visits to physicians in women 15–44 years of age) 88,000 98,800 N/A 97,066

a. Proportion of high-risk women aged 16-20 infected with chlamydia* 13.3% 13.9% 13.4% 11.7%

b. Proportion of high-risk women aged 21-24 infected with chlamydia* 9.4%† 7.3% 8.5% 8.3%

c. Rate of gonorrhea/100,000 population in women aged 16-20 551.9 523.9 537.0 558.6

d. Rate of gonorrhea/100,000 population in women aged 21-24 513.8 508.1 523.9 511.8

e. Black: white ratio of gonorrhea in women aged 16-24 11:1 10:3 9:5 10:1

f. Proportion of sexually active females aged 16-20 years enrolled in Medicaid who are screened for 

 chlamydia infections 53.0% 52.3% N/A 62.5%

g. Proportion of sexually active females aged 21-24 years enrolled in Medicaid who are screened for 

 chlamydia infections 64.1% 62.0% N/A 66.0%

h. Proportion of sexually active females aged 16-20 years enrolled in commercial health insurance plans 

 who are screened for chlamydia infections 42.3% 42.7% N/A 43.5%

i. Proportion of sexually active females aged 21-24 years enrolled in commercial health insurance plans 

 who are screened for chlamydia infections 51.2% 52.1% N/A 52.7%

Goal 2: Elimination of Congenital Syphilis

a. Incidence of P&S syphilis/100,000 population in women aged 15–44 2.1 2.6 3.2 0.8

b. Incidence of congenital syphilis/100,000 live births 8.7 11.5 12.4 6.2

c. Proportion of pregnant women that are screened for syphilis at least one month before delivery 85.1% N/A 84.0% 85.1%

GPRA Goals Data Source

1 National Disease and Therapeutic Index (IMS Health)

1a, 1b National Job Training Program (NJTP)

1c, 1d, 1e National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), CDC

1f, 1g, 1h, 1i Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

2a, 2b National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS),CDC

2c MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database, Truven Health Analytics

NOTE: Data presented in this table reflect data reported to GPRA in current and prior years. Data for years prior to 2015 may not match estimates presented in 

other sections of this report. 

* Median state-specific chlamydia prevalence/positivity among states with >100 females in this age group entering the National Job Training Program. 

†

 In FY 2013 CDC improved the calculation of these data to increase the stability of estimate over time. Data for 2010 and later years reflect this improved 

calculation method.

GPRA = Government Performance and Results Act; PID = pelvic inflammatory disease; P&S = primary and secondary.
146 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions STD Surveillance 2015

C1. CASE DEFINITIONS FOR NATIONALLY NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS 

DISEASES

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) recommends that state health departments report cases 

of selected diseases to CDC’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). Case definitions are 

periodically revised using CSTE’s Position Statements and provide uniform criteria of nationally notifiable conditions 

for reporting purposes. The most current surveillance case definitions for nationally notifiable STDs are listed below. 

Please see the NNDSS website (https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/case-definitions.html) for historical case definitions.

C1.1 Chancroid (Revised 9/96)

Clinical description

A sexually transmitted disease characterized by painful genital ulceration and inflammatory inguinal adenopathy. The 

disease is caused by infection with Haemophilus ducreyi.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Isolation of H. ducreyi from a clinical specimen

Case classification

Probable: a clinically compatible case with both a) no evidence of Treponema pallidum infection by darkfield 

microscopic examination of ulcer exudate or by a serologic test for syphilis performed ≥7 days after onset of ulcers 

and b) either a clinical presentation of the ulcer(s) not typical of disease caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) or a 

culture negative for HSV.

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case that is laboratory confirmed.

C1.2 Chlamydia trachomatis Infection (Revised 6/09)

Clinical description

Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis may result in urethritis, epididymitis, cervicitis, acute salpingitis, or other 

syndromes when sexually transmitted; however, the infection is often asymptomatic in women. Perinatal infections 

may result in inclusion conjunctivitis and pneumonia in newborns. Other syndromes caused by C. trachomatis include 

lymphogranuloma venereum (see Lymphogranuloma Venereum) and trachoma.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Isolation of C. trachomatis by culture or

• Demonstration of C. trachomatis in a clinical specimen by detection of antigen or nucleic acid

Case classification

Confirmed: a case that is laboratory confirmed.

C. STD Surveillance Case Definitions
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions 147

C1.3 Gonorrhea (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

A sexually transmitted infection commonly manifested by urethritis, cervicitis, proctitis, salpingitis, or pharyngitis. 

Infection may be asymptomatic.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Observation of gram-negative intracellular diplococci in a urethral smear obtained from a male or an endocervical 

smear obtained from a female, or

• Isolation of typical gram-negative, oxidase-positive diplococci by culture (presumptive Neisseria gonorrhoeae) from 

a clinical specimen, or

• Demonstration of N. gonorrhoeae in a clinical specimen by detection of antigen or nucleic acid

Case classification

Probable: demonstration of gram-negative intracellular diplococci in a urethral smear obtained from a male or an 

endocervical smear obtained from a female.

Confirmed: a person with laboratory isolation of typical gram-negative, oxidase-positive diplococci by culture 

(presumptive Neisseria gonorrhoeae) from a clinical specimen, or demonstration of N. gonorrhoeae in a clinical specimen 

by detection of antigen or detection of nucleic acid via nucleic acid amplification (e.g., PCR) or hybridization with a 

nucleic acid probe.

C1.4 Syphilis (Effective 1/14)

Syphilis is a complex sexually transmitted disease that has a highly variable clinical course. Adherence to the following 

surveillance case definitions will facilitate understanding the epidemiology of this disease across the U.S.

Syphilis, primary (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

A stage of infection with Treponema pallidum characterized by one or more ulcerative lesions (e.g. chancre), which might 

differ considerably in clinical appearance.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Demonstration of T. pallidum in clinical specimens by darkfield microscopy, or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or 

equivalent direct molecular methods.

Case classification

Probable: a case that meets the clinical description of primary syphilis with a reactive serologic test (nontreponemal: 

Venereal Disease Research Laboratory [VDRL], rapid plasma reagin [RPR], or equivalent serologic methods; treponemal: 

fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed [FTA-ABS], T. pallidum particle agglutination [TP-PA], enzyme immunoassay 

[EIA], chemiluminescence immunoassay [CIA], or equivalent serologic methods). These treponemal tests supersede older 

testing technologies, including microhemagglutination assay for antibody to T. pallidum [MHA-TP].

Confirmed: a case that meets the clinical description of primary syphilis that is laboratory confirmed.
148 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions STD Surveillance 2015

Syphilis, secondary (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

A stage of infection caused by T. pallidum characterized by localized or diffuse mucocutaneous lesions (e.g., rash – such 

as non-pruritic macular, maculopapular, popular, or pustular lesions), often with generalized lymphadenopathy. Other 

symptoms can include mucous patches, condyloma lata, and alopecia. The primary ulcerative lesion may still be present. 

Because of the wide array of symptoms possibly indicating secondary syphilis, serologic tests for syphilis and a thorough 

sexual history and physical examination are crucial to determining if a case should be classified as secondary syphilis.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Demonstration of T. pallidum in clinical specimens by darkfield microscopy, or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or 

equivalent direct molecular methods.

Case classification

Probable: a case that meets the clinical description of secondary syphilis with a nontreponemal (VDRL, RPR, or 

equivalent serologic methods) titer ≥4 and a reactive treponemal test (FTA-ABS, TP-PA, EIA, CIA, or equivalent 

serologic methods).

Confirmed: a case that meets the clinical description of secondary syphilis (with at least one sign or symptom) that is 

laboratory confirmed.

Syphilis, early latent (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

A subcategory of latent syphilis (a stage of infection caused by T. pallidum in which organisms persist in the body of the 

infected person without causing symptoms or signs) when initial infection has occurred within the previous 12 months.

Case classification

Probable: A person with no clinical signs or symptoms of syphilis who has one of the following:

• No past diagnosis of syphilis, and a reactive nontreponemal test (e.g., VDRL, RPR, or equivalent serologic methods), 

and a reactive treponemal test (e.g., FTA-ABS, TP-PA, EIA, CIA, or equivalent serologic methods), or

• A current nontreponemal test titer demonstrating fourfold or greater increase from the last nontreponemal test titer

AND evidence of having acquired the infection within the previous 12 months based on one or more of the following 

criteria:

• Documented seroconversion or fourfold or greater increase in titer of a nontreponemal test during the previous 12 

months

• Documented seroconversion of a treponemal test during the previous 12 months

• A history of symptoms consistent with primary or secondary syphilis during the previous 12 months

• A history of sexual exposure to a partner within the previous 12 months who had primary, secondary, or early latent 

syphilis (documented independently as duration <12 months)

• Only sexual contact was within the last 12 months (sexual debut). 

There is no confirmed case classification for early latent syphilis.

Syphilis, late latent (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

A subcategory of latent syphilis (a stage of infection caused by T. pallidum in which organisms persist in the body of the 

infected person without causing symptoms or signs) when initial infection has occurred >12 months previously.
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions 149

Case classification

Probable: a person with no clinical signs or symptoms of syphilis who has one of the following:

• No past diagnosis of syphilis, and a reactive nontreponemal test (e.g., VDRL, RPR, or equivalent serologic methods), 

and a reactive treponemal test (e.g., FTA-ABS, TP-PA, EIA, CIA, or equivalent serologic methods), or

• A past history of syphilis therapy and a current nontreponemal test titer demonstrating fourfold or greater increase 

from the last nontreponemal test titer.

AND who has no evidence of having acquired the disease within the preceding 12 months (see Syphilis, early latent). 

There is no confirmed case classification for late latent syphilis.

Neurosyphilis (Effective 1/14)

Neurosyphilis can occur at any stage of syphilis. If the patient has neurologic manifestations of syphilis, the case should 

be reported with the appropriate stage of infection (as if neurologic manifestations were not present) and neurologic 

manifestations should be noted in the case report data. If no other stage is appropriate, the case should be staged as “late, 

with clinical manifestations”.

Neurosyphilis can apply to all stages of infection of syphilis listed, including: primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, early 

latent syphilis, late latent syphilis, and late syphilis with clinical manifestations.

Clinical description

Infection of the central nervous system with T. pallidum, as evidenced by manifestations including syphilitic meningitis, 

meningovascular syphilis, optical involvement including interstitial keratitis and uveitis, general paresis, including 

dementia, and tabes dorsalis.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• A reactive VDRL in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and either (1) a reactive treponemal serologic test for syphilis (e.g., 

FTA- ABS, TP-PA, EIA, CIA, or equivalent serologic methods) or (2) a reactive nontreponemal serologic test for 

syphilis (VDRL, RPR, or equivalent serologic method).

Case classification

Probable: syphilis of any stage with a negative VDRL test in CSF specimen and either (1) a reactive treponemal serologic 

test for syphilis (e.g., FTA-ABS, TP-PA, EIA, CIA, or equivalent serologic methods) or (2) a reactive non-treponemal 

serologic test for syphilis (VDRL, RPR, or equivalent serologic method), and both of the following:

• Elevated CSF protein (>50 mg/dL2) or leukocyte count (>5 white blood cells/cubic millimeter CSF) in the absence 

of other known causes of these abnormalities, and

• Clinical symptoms or signs consistent with neurosyphilis without other known causes for these clinical 

abnormalities.

Confirmed: syphilis of any stage that meets the laboratory criteria for neurosyphilis.

Syphilis, late with clinical manifestations (including late benign syphilis and 

cardiovascular syphilis) (Effective 1/14)

Clinical description

Clinical manifestations of late syphilis may include inflammatory lesions of the cardiovascular system (e.g., aortitis, 

coronary vessel disease), skin (e.g., gummatous lesions) bone (e.g., osteitis) or other tissue. Rarely, other structures (e.g., 

the upper and lower respiratory tracts, mouth, eye, abdominal organs, reproductive organs, lymph nodes, and skeletal 

muscle) may be involved. Late syphilis usually becomes clinically manifest only after a period of 15–30 years of untreated 

infection. If only neurologic manifestations of syphilis (e.g., tabes dorsalis, dementia) are present and infection occurred 

more than 12 months ago, the case should be reported as “late syphilis”.
150 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions STD Surveillance 2015

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Demonstration of T. pallidum in late lesions by special stains (although organisms are rarely visualized in late lesions), or 

equivalent methods, or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or equivalent direct molecular methods.

Case classification

Probable: characteristic abnormalities or lesions of the cardiovascular system (e.g., aortitis, coronary vessel disease), skin 

(e.g., gummatous lesions), bone (e.g., osteitis), or other tissue and a reactive treponemal test (e.g., FTA-ABS, TP-PA, EIA, 

CIA, or equivalent serologic methods), in the absence of other known causes of these abnormalities. CSF abnormalities 

and clinical symptoms or signs consistent with neurologic manifestations of syphilis might be present.

Confirmed: a case that meets the clinical description of late syphilis that is laboratory confirmed.

Syphilis, Congenital (Revised 1/15)

Clinical description

A condition caused by infection in utero with Treponema pallidum. A wide spectrum of severity exists, from inapparent 

infection to severe cases that are clinically apparent at birth. An infant or child (aged less than 2 years) may have signs 

such as hepatosplenomegaly, rash, condyloma lata, snuffles, jaundice (nonviral hepatitis), pseudoparalysis, anemia, or 

edema (nephrotic syndrome and/or malnutrition). An older child may have stigmata (e.g., interstitial keratitis, nerve 

deafness, anterior bowing of shins, frontal bossing, mulberry molars, Hutchinson teeth, saddle nose, rhagades, or Clutton 

joints).

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Demonstration of T. pallidum by darkfield microscopy of lesions, body fluids, or neonatal nasal discharge, or

• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or other equivalent direct molecular methods of lesions, placenta, umbilical cord, 

or autopsy material, or

• Immunohistochemistry (IHC), or special stains (e.g., silver staining) of specimens from lesions, neonatal nasal 

discharge, placenta, umbilical cord, or autopsy material.

Case classification

Probable: a condition affecting an infant whose mother had untreated or inadequately treated* syphilis at delivery, 

regardless of signs in the infant, or an infant or child who has a reactive non-treponemal test for syphilis (Venereal 

Disease Research Laboratory [VDRL], rapid plasma reagin [RPR], or equivalent serologic methods) AND any one of the 

following:

• Any evidence of congenital syphilis on physical examination (see Clinical description)

• Any evidence of congenital syphilis on radiographs of long bones

• A reactive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test

• In a nontraumatic lumbar puncture, an elevated CSF leukocyte (white blood cell, WBC) count or protein (without 

other cause):

Suggested parameters for abnormal CSF WBC and protein values:

• During the first 30 days of life, a CSF WBC count of >15 WBC/mm3 or a CSF protein >120 mg/dL.

• After the first 30 days of life, a CSF WBC count of >5 WBC mm3 or a CSF protein >40 mg/dL, regardless of 

CSF serology.

• The treating clinician should be consulted to interpret the CSF values for the specific patient.

Confirmed: a case that is laboratory confirmed.

* Adequate treatment is defined as completion of a penicillin-based regimen, in accordance with CDC treatment guidelines, appropriate for stage of infection, initiated 

30 or more days before delivery.
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions 151

Syphilitic Stillbirth

Clinical case definition

A fetal death that occurs after a 20-week gestation or in which the fetus weighs greater than 500 g and the mother had 

untreated or inadequately treated* syphilis at delivery.

Comment

Congenital and acquired syphilis may be difficult to distinguish when a child is seropositive after infancy. Signs of 

congenital syphilis may not be obvious, and stigmata may not yet have developed. Abnormal values for CSF VDRL, 

WBC cell count, and protein may be found in either congenital or acquired syphilis. Findings on radiographs of long 

bones may help because radiographic changes in the metaphysis and epiphysis are considered classic signs of congenitally 

acquired syphilis. While maternal antibodies can complicate interpretation of serologic tests in an infant, reactive tests 

past 18 months of age are considered to reflect the status of the child. The decision may ultimately be based on maternal 

history and clinical judgment. In a young child, the possibility of sexual abuse should be considered as a cause of acquired 

rather than congenital syphilis, depending on the clinical picture. For reporting purposes, congenital syphilis includes 

cases of congenitally acquired syphilis among infants and children as well as syphilitic stillbirths.

* Adequate treatment is defined as completion of a penicillin-based regimen, in accordance with CDC treatment guidelines, appropriate for stage of infection, initiated 

30 or more days before delivery.

C2. CASE DEFINITIONS FOR NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Although the conditions below are not currently nationally notifiable, they may be reportable in some jurisdictions. To 

provide uniform criteria for those jurisdictions, case definitions are provided by CSTE. Case definitions are periodically 

revised. The most current surveillance case definitions for non-notifiable STDs are listed below. Please see the NNDSS 

website (https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/case-definitions.html) for historical case definitions. 

C2.1 Genital Herpes (Herpes Simplex Virus) (Revised 9/96)

Clinical description

A condition characterized by visible, painful genital or anal lesions.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Isolation of herpes simplex virus from cervix, urethra, or anogenital lesion, or

• Demonstration of virus by antigen detection technique in clinical specimens from cervix, urethra, or anogenital 

lesion, or

• Demonstration of multinucleated giant cells on a Tzanck smear of scrapings from an anogenital lesion.

Case classification

Probable: a clinically compatible case (in which primary and secondary syphilis have been excluded by appropriate 

serologic tests and darkfield microscopy, when available) with either a diagnosis of genital herpes based on clinical 

presentation (without laboratory confirmation) or a history of one or more previous episodes of similar genital lesions.

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case that is laboratory confirmed.

Comment

Genital herpes should be reported only once per patient. The first diagnosis for a patient with no previous diagnosis should 

be reported.
152 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions STD Surveillance 2015

C2.2 Genital Warts (Revised 9/96)

Clinical description

An infection characterized by the presence of visible, exophytic (raised) growths on the internal or external genitalia, 

perineum, or perianal region.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Histopathologic changes characteristic of human papillomavirus infection in specimens obtained by biopsy or 

exfoliative cytology or

• Demonstration of virus by antigen or nucleic acid detection in a lesion biopsy.

Case classification

Probable: a clinically compatible case without histopathologic diagnosis and without microscopic or serologic evidence 

that the growth is the result of secondary syphilis.

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case that is laboratory confirmed.

Comment

Genital warts should be reported only once per patient. The first diagnosis for a patient with no previous diagnosis should 

be reported.

C2.3 Granuloma Inguinale

Clinical description

A slowly progressive ulcerative disease of the skin and lymphatics of the genital and perianal area caused by infection 

with Calymmatobacterium granulomatis. A clinically compatible case would have one or more painless or minimally 

painful granulomatous lesions in the anogenital area.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Demonstration of intracytoplasmic Donovan bodies in Wright or Giemsa-stained smears or biopsies of granulation tissue.

Case classification

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case that is laboratory confirmed.

C2.4 Lymphogranuloma Venereum

Clinical description

Infection with L1, L2, or, L3 serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis may result in a disease characterized by genital lesions, 

suppurative regional lymphadenopathy, or hemorrhagic proctitis. The infection is usually sexually transmitted.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Isolation of C. trachomatis, serotype L1, L2, or L3 from clinical specimen, or

• Demonstration by immunofluorescence of inclusion bodies in leukocytes of an inguinal lymph node (bubo) aspirate, 

or

• Positive microimmunofluorescent serologic test for a lymphogranuloma venereum strain of C. trachomatis.
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions 153

Case classification

Probable: a clinically compatible case with one or more tender fluctuant inguinal lymph nodes or characteristic 

proctogenital lesions with supportive laboratory findings of a single C. trachomatis complement fixation titer of >64.

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case that is laboratory confirmed.

C2.5 Mucopurulent Cervicitis (Revised 9/96)

Clinical description

Cervical inflammation that is not the result of infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Trichomonas vaginalis. Cervical 

inflammation is defined by the presence of one of the following criteria:

• Mucopurulent secretion (from the endocervix) that is yellow or green when viewed on a white, cotton-tipped swab 

(positive swab test)

• Induced endocervical bleeding (bleeding when the first swab is placed in the endocervix).

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

No evidence of N. gonorrhoeae by culture, Gram stain, or antigen or nucleic acid detection, and no evidence of T. 

vaginalis on wet mount.

Case classification

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case in a female who does not have either gonorrhea or trichomoniasis.

Comment

Mucopurulent cervicitis (MPC) is a clinical diagnosis of exclusion. The syndrome may result from infection with any 

of several agents (see Chlamydia trachomatis). If gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia are excluded, a clinically 

compatible illness should be classified as MPC. An illness in a female that meets the case definition of MPC and C. 

trachomatis infection should be classified as chlamydia.

C2.6 Nongonococcal Urethritis (Revised 9/96)

Clinical description

Urethral inflammation that is not the result of infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Urethral inflammation may be 

diagnosed by the presence of one of the following criteria:

• A visible abnormal urethral discharge, or

• A positive leukocyte esterase test from a male aged <60 years who does not have a history of kidney disease or 

bladder infection, prostate enlargement, urogenital anatomic anomaly, or recent urinary tract instrumentation, or

• Microscopic evidence of urethritis (≥5 white blood cells per high-power field) on a Gram stain of a urethral smear.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

No evidence of N. gonorrhoeae infection by culture, Gram stain, or antigen or nucleic acid detection.

Case classification

Confirmed: a clinically compatible case in a male in whom gonorrhea is not found, either by culture, Gram stain, or 

antigen or nucleic acid detection.
154 Appendix: STD Surveillance Case Definitions STD Surveillance 2015

Comment

Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is a clinical diagnosis of exclusion. The syndrome may result from infection with any 

of several agents (see Chlamydia trachomatis). If gonorrhea and chlamydia are excluded, a clinically compatible illness 

should be classified as NGU. An illness in a male that meets the case definition of NGU and C. trachomatis infection 

should be classified as chlamydia.

C2.7 Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Revised 9/96)

Clinical case definition

A clinical syndrome resulting from the ascending spread of microorganisms from the vagina and endocervix to the 

endometrium, fallopian tubes, and/or contiguous structures. In a female who has lower abdominal pain and who has not 

been diagnosed as having an established cause other than pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (e.g., ectopic pregnancy, 

acute appendicitis, and functional pain), all the following clinical criteria must be present:

• Lower abdominal tenderness, and

• Tenderness with motion of the cervix, and

• Adnexal tenderness.

In addition to the preceding criteria, at least one of the following findings must also be present:

• Meets the surveillance case definition of C. trachomatis infection or gonorrhea

• Temperature >100.4 F (>38.0 C)

• Leukocytosis >10,000 white blood cells/mm3

• Purulent material in the peritoneal cavity obtained by culdocentesis or laparoscopy

• Pelvic abscess or inflammatory complex detected by bimanual examination or by sonography

• Patient is a sexual contact of a person known to have gonorrhea, chlamydia, or nongonococcal urethritis.

Case classification

Confirmed: a case that meets the clinical case definition.

Comment

For reporting purposes, a clinician’s report of PID should be counted as a case.
STD Surveillance 2015 Appendix: Contributors 155

Contributors

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of state STD project directors, STD program managers, state and territorial 

epidemiologists, and laboratory directors. The persons listed were in the positions shown as of August 24, 2016.

State/City/Outlying Area STD Project Directors STD Program Managers State Epidemiologists Laboratory Directors

Alabama Anthony Merriweather Anthony Merriweather Mary McIntyre Sharon Massingale

Alaska Susan Jones Donna Cecere Joe McLaughlin Bernard Jilly

Arizona Roxanne Ereth Roxanne Ereth Kenneth Komatsu Victor Waddell

Arkansas Rene Montgomery Brandi Roberts Dirk Haselow Glen Baker

California Heidi Bauer Romni Neiman Gilberto Chavez Paul Kimsey

 Los Angeles Michael Green Susie Baldwin Gilberto Chavez Nicole Green

 San Francisco Trang Nguyen Nora Macias Gilberto Chavez Severin Gose (Acting)

Colorado Melanie Mattson Rebecca Jordan-Yehle Lisa Miller Hugh Maguire (Acting)

Connecticut Lynn Sosa Heidi Jenkins Matthew Cartter Jafar Razeq

Delaware Catherine Mosley Catherine Mosley Tabatha Offutt-Powell Sergio Huerta

District of Columbia Travis Gayles Travis Gayles John Davies-Cole Morris Blaylock (Acting)

Florida Craig Wilson Lekisha Cohen Anna Likos Carina Blackmore

Georgia Michelle Allen LaTasha Terry Cherie Drenzek Elizabeth Franko

Hawaii Peter Whiticar Gerald “Luke” Hasty, Jr. Sarah Park A. Christian Whelen

Idaho Kimberly Matulonis Kimberly Matulonis Christine Hahn Christopher Ball

Illinois Danny Brikshavana John Creviston Constance Austin E. Matt Charles (Acting)

 Chicago Jennifer Caruso Vacant Constance Austin Massimo Pacilli (QA Manager)

Indiana Ann Alley Caitlin Conrad Pamela Pontones Judith Lovchik

Iowa Randy Mayer George Walton Patricia Quinlisk Christopher Atchison

Kansas Stephanie Green Stephanie Green Charles Hunt N. Myron Gunsalus

Kentucky Chang Lee Chang Lee Doug Thoroughman Jeremy Hart

Louisiana DeAnn Gruber Chaquetta Johnson Raoult Ratard Stephen Martin

Maine Jayson Hunt Emer Smith Siiri Bennett Kenneth Pote

Maryland Sandra Matus Sandra Matus David Blythe Robert Myers

 Baltimore Glen Olthoff Hilda Ndirangu David Blythe n/a

Massachusetts Kathleen Roosevelt David Goudreau Alfred DeMaria Michael Pentella

Michigan Patricia Villegas Kristine Judd-Tuinier Sarah Lyon-Callo Sandip Shah

Minnesota Marcie Babcock Marcie Babcock Ruth Lynfield Joanne Bartkus

Mississippi Nicholas Mosca David Peyton Thomas Dobbs Daphne Ware

Missouri Nicole Massey Vacant George Turabelidze Bill Whitmar

Montana Judy Nielsen Judy Nielsen Carol Ballew Ron Paul

Nebraska Jeri Weberg-Bryce Jeri Weberg-Bryce Thomas Safranek Peter Iwen

Nevada Sandi Larson Chelsi Cheatom Ihsan Azzam Yashpal Agrawal (Interim)

New Hampshire Lindsay Pierce Lisa Ouellette Benjamin Chan Christine Bean

New Jersey Tay Walker Patricia Mason Christina Tan Onesia Bishop

New Mexico Andrew Gans Janine Waters Michael Landen Lixia Liu

New York Alison Muse Margaret Carroll Debra Blog Jill Taylor

 New York City Susan Blank Kate Washburn Debra Blog Jennifer Rakeman

North Carolina Jacquelyn Clymore Pete Moore Vacant Scott Zimmerman

North Dakota Kirby Kruger Lindsey VanderBusch Tracy Miller Myra Kosse

Ohio Amanda Dennison Vacant Mary DiOrio Quanta Brown (Acting)

Oklahoma Jan Fox Kristen Eberly Kristy Bradley S. Terrance Dunn

Oregon Vacant Ruth Helsley Katrina Hedberg John Fontana

Pennsylvania Beth Butler Kristine King Sharon Watkins James Lute (Acting)

 Philadelphia Greta Anschuetz Melinda Salmon Sharon Watkins Kerry Buchs
156 Appendix: Contributors STD Surveillance 2015

State/City/Outlying Area STD Project Directors STD Program Managers State Epidemiologists Laboratory Directors

Rhode Island Thomas Bertrand Jaime Comella Utpala Bandy Ewa King

South Carolina Vacant Bernard Gilliard Linda Bell Shahiedy Shahied

South Dakota Amanda Gill Amanda Gill Lon Kightlinger Timothy Southern

Tennessee Brad Beasely n/a Tim Jones Richard Steece

Texas Shelley Lucas Tammy Foskey Linda Gaul Grace Kubin

Utah Christie Chelser Ameila Self Allyn Nakashima Robyn Atkinson-Dunn

Vermont Daniel Daltry Vacant Patsy Kelso/Lori Cragin Mary Celotti

Virginia Jeff Stover Oana Vasiliu Laurie Forlano Denise Toney

Washington Mark Aubin Mark Aubin Scott Lindquist/Cathy Wasserman Romesh Gautom

West Virginia Pamela Reynolds Pamela Reynolds Loretta Haddy Sharon Lee Cibrik

Wisconsin Stephanie Smiley Anthony Wade Jeffrey Davis Peter Shult (Acting)

Wyoming Vacant Brittany Wardle Tracy Murphy Sarah Buss

American Samoa Fara M. Utu Fetaui V. Saelua Scott Anesi Mary Matau

Federated States of Micronesia Mayleen Ekiek Mayleen Ekiek Afeke Kambui Kessler Lakutak/Herbert Johnny/

Kasian Otoko/Maria Marfel

Government of the Marshall Islands Francyne Wase-Jacklick Adela Sibok Lokkas Lakmij Anne Chang Gum

Northern Marianas (CNMI) John Dax Moreno John Dax Moreno Paul White Philip Dauterman

Guam Josephine O’Mallan Bernadette P. Schumann Robert Haddock Josephine O’Mallan

Puerto Rico Sandra Miranda de Leon Sandra Miranda de Leon Brenda Rivera-Garcia Myriam Garcia-Negron

Republic of Palau Sherilynn Madraisau Columbo Sakuma Tmong Cheryl Udui Francis Termeteet

Virgin Islands Gritell Martinez Jasper Lettsome Esther Ellis Joseph Mark
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