Alaska’s gonorrhea rate is the highest in the nation and its chlamydia rate is the third highest.

Updated: 18 minutes ago Published: 18 minutes ago

Alaska had the nation’s highest rate of gonorrhea last year and the third highest rate of chlamydia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Rankings are from the CDC the latest annual report on sexually transmitted infections, which was launched last week.

Nationally, gonorrhea rates decreased by 7% from 2022 to 2023, the CDC reported. Alaska’s 2023 rate was also lower than the state’s 2022 rate, but the decline was milder. Gonorrhea can cause infertility in women and men, infections that spread to different parts of the body, and complications for babies, including blindness. Alaska’s gonorrhea rate fell from 314.1 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 310.9 per 100,000 last year, a decrease of less than 1 percent, according to the CDC report. But the state’s rate was high enough to jump from fourth place in 2022 to atop the state list for last year, according to CDC data.

The national rate of gonorrhea was 179.5 per 100,000 people, the CDC said.

For chlamydia, Alaska also ranked third among U.S. states in 2022. But the 2023 rate for that infectious disease was about 4 percent lower than the previous year, according to CDC data.

Alaska’s 2023 chlamydia rate of 697.7 per 100,000 people compares with a national rate of 492.2 per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, prostate gland infections, newborn infections and other complications.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections are typically higher in Alaska than in other states. For example, in 2010Alaska had the highest rate of chlamydia in the country and the second highest rate of gonorrhea. Cases dominate those of the state the annual balance of infectious diseases beyond influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus.

In 2023, Alaska also had higher syphilis rates than the national average. The state was ranked 11th for primary and secondary syphiliswhich are the first and second stages of infection and the 15th highest for congenital syphilisthe form of the disease transmitted to newborns by their mothers.

Primary and secondary syphilis rates in Alaska increased from 2022 to 2023, from 21.8 per 100,000 to 22.5 per 100,000, or about 3 percent, according to the CDC. Ten babies were born with syphilis in Alaska in 2023, compared to 12 in 2022, according to the CDC.

Syphilis rates have risen nationally in recent years, but the rate of growth has slowed to 1 percent nationally in 2023, the CDC said.

Of particular concern to health officials is the surge in syphilis that is present at birth, known as congenital syphilis, which can be fatal to infants. Congenital syphilis can also cause lasting and serious health problems, including bone deformities, blindness, and deafness.

The increase has recommendations for more testing for the infection, especially among people considered to be at high risk.

Originally Posted by Alaska Beaconan independent, nonpartisan news organization covering Alaska state government.