Fargo, North Dakota – Alarms were raised across the nation due to the sharp increase in STD cases during the COVID-19 outbreak. But was this an effect of COVID-19?
The quick answer, according to a recent report by LendingTree research site ValuePenguin.com, is no. According to the analysis, which examined STD case counts from 2000 to 2020, the issue has been for much longer, particularly in North Dakota.
In North Dakota, the rate of sexually transmitted disease cases per 100,000 people actually rose by 369% between 2000 and 2020. This is the country’s largest growth.
Syphilis cases nationwide increased by 505% between 2000 and 2020, the highest rate of any of the five STDs being tracked.
In the same time frame, cases of congenital syphilis, early non-primary, non-secondary syphilis, and chlamydia all climbed by 303%, 285%, and 92%, respectively. The smallest increase in cases, gonorrhea, likewise had a 61% increase.
