STD Map Lets You See How Many of Your Neighbors Have the Clap
If you live in California, Texas, Michigan or New York, you probably know someone who has the clap. If you’re in Alaska, it wouldn’t be unwise to just assume you have the clap.
According to Live Science, the eight most common STDs in America are as follows: chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), genital herpes, HIV, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and trichomoniasis. The CDC reports that 50.5 million of these infections are squirreled away in men and 59.5 are in women. Fifty percent of these new cases pop up in young folks between the ages of 15 and 24, a disproportionate figure considering that they aren’t the majority of sexually active people.
HPV and chlamydia newly infect the most people annually; 14,100,000 estimated new patients came down with the former and 2,860,000 with the latter. HPV accounts for 79,100,000 of existing infections followed by genital herpes at 24,100,000.
About 1.8 million people have existing infections of chlamydia, though the number might be higher because symptoms of this disease, like HPV, don’t usually show. Alaska, New Mexico, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and New York are the leading states for chlamydia infections. Congrats, guys.
Gonorrhea is the second most popular STD in the States, especially for folks 15 to 24 years old, according to the CDC. There are an estimated 800,000 new cases every year. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are the leading locations for this disease.
As for syphilis, California, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Georgia, New York, Florida, Washington, D.C. and Maryland are the leading states for infections.
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are treatable with antibiotics, while others like HPV or genital herpes — caused by viruses — are gifts that keep on giving and must be managed rather than cured.
Infections often spread because people don’t show symptoms so they don’t get tested for STDs. But guys: it’s 2014. I think we can all agree that not noticing a tick on your vagina is not enough reason not to be tested annually for STDs. Do your sex partners a favor, make sure your sex area is as it should be. Humanity will thank you, especially if you’re in Alaska.
Find testing locations near your home as well as the symptoms of each disease at the CDC.
Image via Getty.