San Francisco Leads The Country In Rate Of Syphilis Infections
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco, which already leads the country in a few areas, such as housing prices, number of restaurants, minimum wage and baseball, can now claim to be number one in another category: syphilis infections.
TV network Fusion analyzed 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics on four sexually-transmitted diseases: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV.
The study found that when it comes to syphilis, San Francisco leads the nation in rates of infection with 18 per 100,000 people. The rate is twice as much as San Francisco's infection rate in 2009.
Among the four STDs studied, syphilis had the lowest infection rates nationwide. Chlamydia, on the other hand, was the most commonly reported STD in the country. Memphis, Tennessee leads all cities with 802 infections per 100,000 people. San Francisco was 14th on that list with 410.
Memphis also leads the list of gonorrhea infections (230 per 100,000), while San Francisco is 7th.
Shelby County, Tenn. chief of epidemiology David Sweat told Fusion that poverty and social factors likely play a role in the high rates of STD infections in Memphis.
"About 30 percent of our kids live in poverty, which is an exceptionally high rate," Sweat told Fusion. "If you are in a place and you don't see a lot of opportunity down the road, instant gratification is easier to pursue."
Dallas had the highest rate of HIV infections (47 per 100,0000). San Francisco's rate of HIV infection is 16th in the country (13 per 100,000)