Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Three-Year Average)

Data Provider: NYS Department of Health

Related Indicators:

STD-Reported Cases of Gonorrhea 15-19 yrs [view data]
STD-Reported Cases of Chlamydia, Males 15-19 yrs [view data]
STD-Reported Cases of Chlamydia, Males - all ages [view data]
STD-Reported Cases of Chlamydia, Females 15-19 yrs [view data]
STD-Reported Cases of Chlamydia, Females - all ages [view data]

Life Area:

Physical and Emotional Health

Definition:

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is spread by sexual contact with an infected person. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Most often, Chlamydia occurs in adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24) who have new or multiple sex partners and who do not consistently use condoms or other barrier contraception.

Gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) is an infection that grows and multiplies quickly in moist, warm areas of the body including the urethra, the throat and the rectum. In women, the cervix is often the site of infection.

The incidence rates for Chlamydia and gonorrhea are based on the number of reported cases of each sexually transmitted disease (STD) per 100,000 population at risk (e.g. females aged 15-19 years). Because the incidence of Chlamydia and gonorrhea is a relatively rare event in many counties, both the counts and rates presented here are based on three-year averages.

Significance:

Sexually transmissible diseases, frequently yielding no or mild symptoms, are a major cause of morbidity among adolescents. Untreated, they are readily spread among sexually active youth and can produce serious long-term consequences, including:

pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain;

transmission of serious or fatal infection to the fetus or newborn, which can permanently damage the brain, spinal cord, eyes, auditory nerves, respiratory or immune system; and

Increased risk of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or pre-term delivery (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020).

Note:

Three-year averaging improves the reliability of the data in counties with small populations where slight variations in the number of youth with a sexually transmitted disease can result in large fluctuations in their annual rates.

Findings:

In New York State, among all female residents, the annual rate of chlamydia was 651.6 per 100,000 in 2012-2014. The rate in New York City, 888.4 per 100,000, was about two times the rate in the Rest of State, 469.4 per 100,000.

Between 2011-2013 and 2012-2014 the rate of chlamydia among females aged 15-19 declined statewide, in New York City and Rest of State. New York City had the biggest decline, from 5,541.2 to 4,979.8 rate per 100,000, followed by New York State and Rest of State, 3,595.5 to 3,319.7 and 2,387.5 to 2,298.6 respectively.

In New York State, among all male residents, the annual rate of chlamydia was 338.9 per 100,000 in 2012-2014. The chlamydia rate among male residents in New York City (519.5 per 100,000) was over two times the rate in the Rest of State (207.9 per 100,000).

In New York State, among all male residents aged 15 through 19 years old, the annual rate of chlamydia was 941.3 per 100,000 in 2012-2014. The incidence rate in New York City (1,543.7 per 100, 000) was about three times the rate in the Rest of State (582.3 per 100,000).

References:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Healthy People 2020