(stldispatch) St. Louis has finally relinquished its title as the sexually transmitted disease capital, dropping to number two in the country for rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia. For several years the city’s disease rates topped the country. St. Louis has a chlamydia rate of 1,225 cases per 100,000 residents. Baltimore has a higher rate, at 1,321. With gonorrhea, St. Louis’ rate is 539 cases per 100,000 residents. Richmond, Va. has the highest rate at 639. The city ranks 16th for syphilis rates, same as last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 94 fewer cases of chlamydia and 387 fewer cases of gonorrhea in the city in 2008 compared to 2007. City health officials point out that the rankings are deceiving because St. Louis city is compared to other metropolitan areas that include entire counties.

Join BBN for free to post a comment. If you already have an account, please login here to post a comment. You will be returned to this page after logging in.