STD Rates Reach Record Highs In Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Brooklyn has among the highest rates of chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea in the nation, according to newly released data.

As the number of sexually transmitted diseases increased in the United States last year,

Kings County saw 21,656 chlamydia cases, 496 syphilis cases and 7,574 gonorrhea cases in 2018, numbers that ranked it among the top 10 U.S. counties where the sexually transmitted diseases are most prevalent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual report.

That means out of 100,000 Brooklyn residents, 817.6 have chlamydia, 285.9 have gonorrhea and 18.7 have syphilis, data show.

While Manhattan's New York County saw higher numbers of gonorrhea and syphilis, Brooklyn showed the highest number of chlamydia cases in the state and 6th highest in the nation.

Gail Bolan, director of STD prevention at the agency, said the progress that had been made in lowering the number of sexually transmitted diseases — historic lows in gonorrhea cases and the near elimination of syphilis — has unraveled.

“The number of reported syphilis cases is climbing after being largely on the decline since 1941, and gonorrhea rates are now increasing,” Bolan wrote.

More than half of all gonorrhea infections in 2018 were estimated to be resistant to at least one antibiotic, the report says.

Chlamydia rates were highest in the South, but the number of cases have increased in all four regions of the United States since 2013. Between 2014-2018, the largest increase in the number of cases was in the West. An overwhelming majority of the cases were in females, and the rates were highest in those ages 15-24.

The South also had the highest rates of gonorrhea. While the disease increased in both men and women, the number of cases was higher among men.

Syphilis has multiple stages of infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts cases of primary and secondary syphilis — when the disease is most infectious — and cases of late and congenital syphilis. Rates of primary and secondary syphilis were highest in the West but every region saw an increase. More cases of the early stages of the disease were reported in men as opposed to women.

In this year’s report, the agency warned of a rise in the number of newborns who died from syphilis in 2018. Nearly 100 babies died due to congenital syphilis, a 22 percent increase since 2017.

Bolan wrote in the report that federal, state and local programs need to promote sexual, reproductive, maternal and infant health and reduce STD incidence. Bolan also noted that health officials needed to be able to detect STDs in those who don't have access to being diagnosed and treated.

“The resurgence of syphilis, and particularly congenital syphilis, is not an arbitrary event, but rather a symptom of a deteriorating public health infrastructure and lack of access to health care,” Bolan said. “It is exposing hidden, fragile populations in need that are not getting the health care and preventive services they deserve.”

Read the CDC’s full report on STD statistics