Examining the latest CDC’s STD Surveillance Statistics, one can note a troubling pattern for Black Americans. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis top the list of most reported new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally. STD rates are typically 5-8 times higher for African Americans or Black people than for non-Hispanic White people. This year’s data suggest that the city with the highest STD rate was Jackson, Mississippi, which was followed by Baltimore. The following is a list of seven cities with large Black populations that have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections across the nation.
Jackson, Mississippi: As of 2019, Jackson has a Black population of 129,690. This means that over 80% of the population of the city is Black. The city recorded 4,281/100,000 STI cases of which 2,541/100,000 were HIV, 2,081/100,000 gonorrhea and 3,984/100,000 were chlamydia. Blacks represent the majority of all STI cases in the city.
Baltimore: Based on 2019 data, Baltimore had a Black population of 371,243. This represented 62.35% of the total population. Per 100000 people, Baltimore saw 9,441 HIV cases, 8,602 chlamydia cases, 3,982 gonorrhea cases and 312 syphilis cases. The overall total of cases is observed among Black citizens.
Augusta, Georgia: Recent data shows that Augusta has a Black population of 113,505. This suggests that around 57.23% of the city is Black. Per 100000 data reveals that 2,636 chlamydia cases, 1,400 HIV cses and 1,100 gonorrhea cases were documented for the year 2020.
Montgomery, Alabama: Montgomery has a Black population of 120,428 which makes the city 60.80% Black. Data indicates that there were 2,569 chlamydia cases, 1,470 HIV cases and 1,226 gonorrhea cases per 100,000. Blacks comprise most of the chlamydia cases reported. Blacks comprise the majority of all STI cases in the city.
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