Hillsborough among top counties in Florida for STDs, health data shows

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Chlamydia, gonorrhea, three types of syphilis. These bacterial diseases are all curable. But data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows in the past 10 years, the frequency of infection has only gone up, even as condom sales have risen and safe sex tips are provided by health officials.

In Florida, the prevalence of sexually transmitted disease infections have increased dramatically, mainly among the young. For those aged 15 to 24, the trend holds for the whole of the United States.

So which counties in Florida have the highest STD infection rates?

The Florida Department of Health’s Health Charts data site only has confirmed infection statistics through 2020. The data goes back for years, showing the rise and fall of STI rates over time, by county and in the state overall.

As of 2020, Miami-Dade County is the bacterial infection capital of the state, with the largest number of infections outright. However, when it comes to the rate, or number of infections per 100,000 residents, Gadsden County is the winner, as far as infection density.

When it comes to total infection numbers across all age groups, here are the top five Florida counties, according to the health department.

1. Miami-Dade County: 20,677 bacterial STD infections
2. Broward County: 16,702 bacterial STD infections
3. Orange County: 13,724 bacterial STD infections
4. Duval County: 12,852 bacterial STD infections
5. Hillsborough County: 12,727 bacterial STD infections

No other counties had infection numbers above 8,000 that year.

Nationally, the CDC reported that by the end of 2020, cases of gonorrhea and both primary and secondary syphilis had risen 10% and 7%, respectively, compared to the year before.

That same year, report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked all 50 states by how common different venereal, or sexually transmitted diseases are, among state populations. Florida ranked No. 10 for syphilis. The federal health agency said preliminary data from 2021 shows the issue is not going away, but is instead, spreading.

According to the FDOH data, here are Florida’s 2020 county infection rates. The infection rates are number of cases per 100,000 residents.