2 SC cities face rising STD rates, among highest in US for 2025, study shows. See the full list
Two South Carolina cities are struggling with rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases, a new study shows.
The city of Columbia ranked 14th on the list of the top 100 U.S. cities with the highest rates of STDs. Charleston followed at 46th on the list.
The cities were ranked through a recent study from research company Innerbody Research, which used the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The eighth annual study notes that Columbia and Charleston rose in the ranks of the top 100 cities with the highest STD rates compared to the previous year.
Columbia ranked a lower 21st in the U.S. just a year ago, while Charleston was 52nd on the list.
The study’s CDC data also shows that South Carolina cities aren’t alone in higher STD rates — the South overall is struggling. Seven of the top 10 states with the highest gonorrhea infection rates are in the South. And the South contributes eight of the top 10 states with the highest rates of chlamydia.
“The South accounts for more than 60% of the top 25 metropolitan areas with the highest STD rates this year,” the study shows.
Below is a breakdown of STD rates in Columbia an Charleston. For a look at all the other cities in the study, click here.
South Carolina cities STD breakdowns
Columbia
- STD cases/100K population: 1,260
- HIV cases: 116
- Chlamydia cases: 6,212
- Gonorrhea cases: 2,756
- Syphilis cases: 171
Charleston
- STD cases/100K population: 7,677
- HIV cases: 140
- Chlamydia cases: 5,561
- Gonorrhea cases: 1,847
- Syphilis cases: 129
Other study findings
The latest data shows that overall STD rates in the U.S. dropped by 1.8% year-over-year. The national infection rates had trended upward for nearly two decades leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the rate remains 90% higher than it was in 2004.
- Nationally, the gonorrhea infection rate dropped by 7% year-over-year.
- The rate of chlamydia remained basically unchanged, which still signifies a 9% drop since 2019.
- The rate of syphilis rose by 1%, representing a much slower rate of increase than the 29% jump from the previous study.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
