CDC says Augusta ranks high in STDs

By CM Wahl | News editor

The latest data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise, especially in Augusta.

Eric Rodriguez, CEO of Innerbody Research, recently published the group’s seventh study based on the CDC's findings. The goal of the study was to provide science-based research so people could make more informed health decisions.

"We recognized the importance of analyzing and understanding these trends to inform the public and health professionals effectively," he said.

Innerbody Research analyzed statistics of the top 100 cities with the highest rates of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. The data used for their study was the first post-lockdown numbers released in the Covid era by the CDC, and it is anticipated that infection counts and rates are likely underreported.

"The trend of Southern regions ranking high on our list," said Rodriguez, "could be attributed to factors such as limited access to healthcare, social stigma surrounding sexual health discussions, insufficient sex education programs, and cultural norms that may influence sexual behavior."

The South accounts for 14 of the 25 U.S. cities with the highest STD infection rates. Per the Census Bureau, this region includes the South Atlantic, which runs from Delaware down to Florida, and the South Central, which runs west from Alabama to Texas.

Augusta came in at number 25 with 1,060 new cases of the four STDs tested, per 100,000 people. Rodriguez stated this information offers crucial insight for the city.

"Armed with this knowledge," he said, "local health officials, policymakers, and community organizations can tailor targeted interventions and strategies to bolster STD prevention efforts and enhance public health outcomes in Augusta."

Rodriguez said AU students can also benefit from learning these results. He stated that by understanding the risks and consequences associated with STDs, students can make more informed decisions about their sexual health and seek appropriate testing and treatment when necessary.

Per Innerbody's published study, "What can spell the difference between life and death, or illness and health, are timely testing and treatment — but it has to be both."

With over 1.6 million cases of chlamydia across the nation in the last year and syphilis cases on a dramatic rise, Rodriguez emphasized that college students and young adults are often at higher risk due to increased sexual activity and limited awareness about STD prevention.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this age group is one of their "priority populations.” Based on their national level data, young people between the ages of 15–24 make up half of all new sexually transmitted infections, even though they represent only 25 percent of the sexually active population.

The DHHS website stated, "STIs affect the quality of life for millions of Americans and cost the health care system billions of dollars annually."

To combat this problem, the DHHS created the Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan, also called the STI Plan, a five-year initiative aiming to reverse the significant increase of STIs in the country. Its five-fold goal is to prevent new infections, improve harmful outcomes of the infected, accelerate progress in STI research and innovation, reduce health disparities and inequities, and achieve coordinated efforts to address the STI epidemic.

"As individuals," stated the Innerbody study, "we can help stem the tide of STD infections by educating ourselves and doing our very best to test for common STDs routinely and seek treatment when tests indicate an infection."

William Conkright, a local primary care doctor at Family Medicine Associates of Augusta, agreed but pointed out that the study did not include results regarding another STD, the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV.

"I would strongly advocate for everybody to get their HPV vaccine," said Conkright.

The DHHS named HPV the most common STI, accounting for 14 million new infections and 35,000 cases of related cancer each year. Yet HPV vaccination rates are lowest in the South.

Conkright emphasized the importance of getting the vaccine and its success rate. He referred to a new study out of Scotland reported by STAT News in 2024 which detected no cases of cervical cancer in 40,000 women who had been fully vaccinated against HPV between the ages of 12 and 13.

In addition to vaccination, Conkright recommended practicing safe sex in a monogamous relationship.

"No moral or ethical judgements," he said, "but hook up culture, if you add the mix of alcohol to it, you're going to be less likely to take precautions."

Those precautions are vital, according to Conkright, due to the increased infection rates from oral sex, the unpredictability of infidelity and the inability to change a partner's past.

"Don't be afraid," he added, "to see somebody in healthcare for screening and to get checked, because we do have really good treatments."

The full Innerbody Research study can be found at: https://www.innerbody.com/std-testing/std-statistics

Contact CM Wahl at cwahl@augusta.edu.