New Orleans has the nation’s 4th highest STD rate
5th February 2024 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
A recent analysis of the Centers for Disease Control’s STD statistics revealed that New Orleans has the fourth highest STD rate in the U.S.
The study, conducted by Innerbody Research, noted troubling trends across the entire South in the first set of data recorded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from the Crescent City’s 4th-place ranking, Memphis placed 2nd and Jackson placed 3rd. Baton Rouge and Montgomery placed 6th and 7th, respectively.
According to Eric Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Innerbody Research, these findings are not surprising.
“We’ve seen the same trends year after year,” Rodriguez said. “We see a lot of urban areas in the south with higher rates in general.”
National syphilis rates surged by 28.6 percent since the last study. The national congenital syphilis rate is 30.5 percent, which marks a tenfold increase in newborn cases over the last decade. The recent data showed 220 cases of stillbirth or infant death in the U.S. due to syphilis. Louisiana is one of five states (the other four are California, Texas, Florida and Arizona) accounting for almost 60 percent of reported cases.
“There’s no smoking gun (regarding a reason for the sharp increase in syphilis),” Rodriguez said. “We don’t know yet whether this will be a blip or part of a continuing larger trend.”
The data also indicated racial disparities.
Black people make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population but experience 31 percent of the cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
Rodriguez said data collection slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic because many people stopped going to doctors for issues that were not immediately life-threatening. But as pandemic shutdowns and restrictions have ended, experts stressed that people should get tested for STDs. Tamika Thomas-Magee, director of clinical services for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, emphasized the importance of testing.
“The most common symptom is no symptoms at all, making regular testing – and prevention methods like condoms, PrEP and PEP to lower the chances of contracting HIV through sex, and HPV vaccines – extremely important in the fight to stem the silent spread of infections within our communities,” Thomas-Magee said.
Rodriguez echoed Thomas-Magee’s sentiments and said many STDs now are manageable and treatable due to modern medicine. But they can only be managed and treated if diagnosed in a timely manner.
“If you are sexually active at any age, the best thing you can do for you and your family is to get tested,” Rodriguez said. “Testing has never been easier…If you don’t know, you can’t protect your loved ones.”
Rodriguez noted that many STD tests can be shipped to your home. He said many people avoid getting tested at doctors’ offices because of fear or embarrassment. The at-home deliveries eliminate that problem. Some of the tests are saliva tests; others involve pin pricks. None are complicated or invasive. He cited My Lab Box, Let’s Get Checked, and Everlywell as reputable at-home testing companies. These at-home tests can cost around $99, however, so affordability could be a problem for economically-disadvantaged individuals.
Isis Casanova, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Health Department, said city officials are aware of the STD problems and are taking steps to prevent it.
“The New Orleans Health Department is actively working in collaboration with service providers across the city to increase linkage to sexual health care services while raising awareness of STI transmission, testing, treatment, and prevention. We recently received a grant that will allow us to focus on improving syphilis awareness and connection to care through media outlets,” Casanova said.
Casanova added that in addition to media awareness campaigns, the New Orleans Health Department will work with existing clients enrolled through its maternal health programs to better understand hesitancy and barriers to STD testing. These stats will help the health department create more precise, community-centered messaging.
“Ads will be placed on urban format radio stations and bus shelters in zip codes with higher syphilis case density. We believe that knowing where to go is the first step,” Casanova said.
People who want to search for testing resources in the Greater New Orleans Area can visit nola.gov/health-department/sexual-and-reproductive-health. Planned Parenthood resources can be found at ppgulfcoast.org or by calling 1-800-230-PLAN.
“You have to take that first step,” Rodriguez said. “If not for you, do it for your loved ones.”
This article originally published in the February 5, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
