Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)

Chlamydia

In 2018, the overall rate of reported chlamydia cases among Blacks in the United States was 1,192.5 cases per 100,000 population. The rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black females was five times the rate among White females (1,411.1 and 281.7 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. The rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black males was 6.8 times the rate among White males (952.3 and 140.4 cases per 100,000 population, respectively). Rates of reported cases of chlamydia were highest for Blacks aged 15–19 and 20–24 years in 2018. The rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black females aged 15–19 years (6,817.3 cases per 100,000 population) was 4.5 times the rate among White females in the same age group (1,520.1 cases per 100,000 population). The rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black females aged 20–24 years was 3.7 times the rate among White females in the same age group (7,087.7 and 1,935.8 cases per 100,000 population, respectively). Among females aged 15–24 years, the population targeted for screening, rates were highest among Blacks in all US regions.

Similar racial disparities in reported chlamydia rates exist among males. Among males aged 15–19 years, the rate of reported chlamydia cases among Blacks was 9.1 times the rate among Whites (2,668.6 and 293.0 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. The rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black males aged 20–24 years was 5.3 times the rate among White males of the same age group (3,867.1 and 732.6 cases per 100,000 population, respectively).

Gonorrhea

In 2018, the overall rate of reported gonorrhea cases among Blacks in the United States was 7.7 times the rate among Whites. This disparity was similar for Black males (8.5 times the rate among White males) and Black females (6.9 times the rate among White females). As in previous years, the disparity in gonorrhea rates for Blacks in 2018 was larger in the Midwest and Northeast than in the South and West.

Considering Hispanic ethnicity and all race and age categories, rates of reported gonorrhea cases were highest for Blacks aged 20–24, 15–19, and 25–29 years in 2018. The rate of reported gonorrhea cases among Black females aged 20–24 years (2,040.3 cases per 100,000 population) was 6.9 times the rate among White females in the same age group (297.5 cases per 100,000 population). The rate of reported gonorrhea cases among Black females aged 15–19 years (1,756.4 cases per 100,000 population) was 8.8 times the rate among White females in the same age group (200.1 cases per 100,000 population). Among Black males aged 20–24 years, the rate of reported gonorrhea cases (2,212.1 cases per 100,000 population) was 9.4 times the rate among White males in the same age group (236.3 cases per 100,000 population). The rate of reported gonorrhea cases among Black males aged 25–29 years (1,860.7 cases per 100,000 population) was 7.0 times the rate among White males in the same age group (265.5 cases per 100,000 population).

Primary and Secondary Syphilis

In 2018, 34.7% of reported P&S syphilis cases with known race/Hispanic ethnicity information occurred among Blacks. The rate of reported P&S syphilis cases among Blacks was 4.7 times the rate among Whites (28.1 versus 6.0 cases per 100,000 population, respectively). This disparity was similar for Black females and males. Similar disparities were seen in all regions of the United States.

Congenital Syphilis

From 2014 to 2018, the rate of reported congenital syphilis increased 126.7% among Blacks (38.2 to 86.6 cases per 100,000 live births). In 2018, the rate of reported cases of congenital syphilis among Blacks was 6.4 times the rate among Whites (86.6 versus 13.5 per 100,000 live births, respectively).