JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi has been ranked as the state with the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, according to a recent study.
Despite a slight national decline of 1.8% in STI cases from 2022 to 2023, more than 2.4 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported across the country. Mississippi, with a score of 9.64 out of 10, stands as the state most impacted by these infections.
The Southeastern state, known for having some of the highest chlamydia rates in the nation, reports more than 700 cases per 100,000 residents. These figures are compounded by Mississippi’s significantly lower HPV vaccination rate, which at 38.5% is more than 20% below the national average of 62.6%.
New research conducted by Universal Drugstore, which assessed STI rates across the U.S., revealed that Mississippi continues to face significant public health challenges, including rising STI rates among its residents.
The study found that chlamydia remains the most common STI across several age groups, and experts suggest that the state’s low vaccination rates may contribute to the ongoing crisis.
