by: Drew Taylor
Posted: Jan 14, 2020 / 01:31 PM CST / Updated: Jan 14, 2020 / 10:42 PM CST
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Two of the biggest cities in Alabama were ranked as having some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in the country, according to a recent report.
In a study compiled by Innerbody.com, which provides information on medical testing, both Montgomery and Birmingham were among the top 25 cities in the United States with the highest rates of STDs.
Specifically, Montgomery came in at No. 5 while Birmingham came at No. 20. The report was based on recent statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back in October.
According to Innerbody, Montgomery had a total of 1,731 STD cases per 100,000 people while Birmingham had 1,372 cases per 100,000.
Here’s a breakdown of both cities’ numbers cited in the report:
MONTGOMERY
STD CASES/ 100K: 1,731
HIV CASES: 71
GONORRHEA CASES: 1,045
CHLAMYDIA CASES: 2,828
SYPHILIS CASES: 36
BIRMINGHAM
STD CASES/ 100K: 1,372
HIV CASES: 141
GONORRHEA CASES: 2,920
CHLAMYDIA CASES: 6,031
SYPHILIS CASES: 97
Both Montgomery and Birmingham placed higher on the list than other cities with higher populations, such as Atlanta, the New York City borough of Brooklyn and Oklahoma City. In fact, Montgomery was higher on the list than Washington D.C., Denver and the NYC boroughs of the Bronx and Manhattan.
The report mentioned that half of the top 25 cities with the highest STD rates were located in the South.
“According to the CDC, over 2.4 million combined STD cases were reported across the U.S. in 2018 alone,” the report stated. “However, many STDs are asymptomatic, which means they have no obvious symptoms (examples include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HPV). And other STDs such as HIV and syphilis can be active inside your body before signs of the infection become apparent. Therefore, these statistics do not include the thousands of people who currently have an STD, but do not know it.”
Elsewhere in Alabama, Mobile was ranked 49th while Huntsville was ranked 79th.
Baltimore topped the list of having the highest rate of STDs than any other American city with 2,004 STD cases per 100,000. The city was previously No. 6 last year.
A full list can be found here.
For individuals who are seeking resources regarding their sexual health, there are options in the Birmingham area.
The Birmingham AIDS Outreach provides free confidential testing for STIs such as HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Trichomoniasis, and Syphilis.
The Birmingham HIV Prevention Network of Jefferson County provides a collaborative partnership of clinics, organizations and consumers committed to HIV prevention.
And the Jefferson County Health Department provides a specialty clinic in sexual health available Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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