STD Rates on the Rise in California and Los Angeles County

July 2018

image of a chart with an arrow going up and down and way up

For the third year in a row, California set a record for diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases or infections (STDs, also known as STIs). Los Angeles County also has the fourth highest rate of chlamydia, and is ranking third for gonorrhea and seventh for syphilis in the state – totaling nearly 275,000 cases in 2016. 
 
Please remember to test your patients if they might be at risk, and to discuss safe sex practices. Make sure you're following the CDC's screening recommendations and STD Treatment Guidelines.
 

Who is more at risk:

  • Chlamydia ⇒ Women ages 16-24
  • Syphilis and Gonorrhea ⇒ Gay and bisexual men  
  • Chlamydia and gonorrhea ⇒ African Americans
 

Los Angeles County 2016 Rates

  • Chlamydia: 504.4 per population of 100,000 
  • Gonorrhea: 164.3 per population of 100,000
  • Early Syphilis: 28.5 per population of 100,000


For more information on STD rates in California, visit the California Department of Public Health's Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch.