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Epidemiology
Incidence
Gonorrhea is a significant public health problem in the U.S. Gonorrhea is second only to
chlamydia in the number of cases reported to the CDC
(www.cdc.gov/std/stats/).
The number of reported gonorrhea cases is suspected to
underestimate incidence by approximately 50%.
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Estimated Annual Incidence of Selected STDs in the U.S.
, 2000 |
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Trichomoniasis
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7.4 million
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Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
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6.2 million
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Chlamydia
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2.8 million
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Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 2
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1.6 million
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Gonorrhea
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718,000
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Syphilis
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37,000
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The rate of gonorrhea rose between 1957 and 1975. It
declined by 74% from 1975 to 1997 after implementation of
a national gonorrhea control program in the mid-1970s. Yet,
the rate increased by 7.8% in 1998 and it has remained
essentially unchanged until the rate increased in 2005. Incidence remains high in some groups defined by geography, age, race/ethnicity, or sexual risk behavior. In 1997, the estimated annual
direct medical cost of gonorrhea treatment in the United States was $56 million.
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The highest reported rates of gonorrhea are in the Southern
region of U.S.
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Gonorrhea rates for men and women are very similar.
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Incidence in African Americans particularly, but also in
Hispanics and Native Americans, is disproportionately high
compared to whites and Asians.
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The peak incidence occurs in men who are 20-24 years, and in women who are 15-19 years, with >80% of cases occurring in men and women between ages
20-24.
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