In this post, rates for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are examined for the Metro-Detroit area. The Metro-Detroit area includes Detroit, Wayne County, Macomb County, and Oakland County. Detroit data is included in the Wayne County data shown. All rates are based on 100,000 residents and a 95 percent confidence interval. A confidence interval is a range of values that likely includes an unknown population parameter; the range is calculated from a given set of sample data.

Chlamydia rates in Detroit and Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties were on the rise from 1999 to 2011, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. When looking further into data on chlamydia for City of Detroit residents, it can be seen there was a higher rate of females for this sexually transmitted disease (STD) than males. The data also shows the number of chlamydia and gonorrhea cases was highest for those between the ages of 15-24 for all geographical areas examined in the post.

Overall, from 1999 to 2011, the chlamydia rate increased for the state and all four geographical areas examined in this post. However, it increased at a much more rapid pace in the City of Detroit than it did in Oakland and Macomb counties. In 1999, the chlamydia rate in Detroit was recorded at 804 cases per 100,000 residents and in 2010, it reached a peak of 2,561. Note, however it declined in 2011 to 2,279. In Wayne County the rate was recorded at 417 per 100,000 residents in 1999 and 1,109 in 2011. For both Macomb and Oakland counties the chlamydia rate was recorded at 75 cases per 100,000 residents in 1999. By 2011, the rate was recorded at 307 cases per 100,000 residents in Oakland County and 233 in Macomb County.  The state as whole more than doubled across these years to 507 cases per 100,000.

From 1999 to 2011, female Detroit residents consistently had a higher rate of chlamydia infection than Detroit male residents. Between 2006 and 2008, the rate of females infected increased from 1,902 cases per 100,000 female residents to 3,361. In 2011 the rate of females infected was reported to decline to 3,201 cases per 100,000 female residents and the rate of males infected was 1,239 cases per 100,000 male residents.

In 2011, the 15-19 year old age group had the highest rate of females infected with chlamydia, at 17,156 cases per 100,000 female residents. For males, the 20-24 year old age group had the highest rate at 5,472 cases per 100,000 male residents.

No rates are provided for the 45 and older age group in the above chart because the data to calculate a meaningful rate is too broad because of the age range, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Of the three STDs examined in this post, syphilis had the lowest rates of infection for Detroit and Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. During the time covered it increased in Detroit and Wayne County then fell dramatically in several jurisdictions. During the time period examined, Detroit had the highest rate of syphilis cases. From 1999 to 2001 there was an increase in Detroit’s rate; the rate peaked  in 2001 at 97 cases per 100,000 residents. Detroit’s rate then decreased, reaching a low of 23 cases per 100,000 residents. Since then, the rate generally increased in Detroit; in 2011, the syphilis rate for Detroit was recorded at 41 cases per 100,000 residents.

Unlike Detroit and Wayne County, the syphilis rates for both Oakland and Macomb counties remained fairly consistent and low  since 1999. However, in recent years, the rates for both counties increased; in 2011, both counties recorded their highest syphilis rates of the examined period: 7 cases per 100,000 residents.

The chart above demonstrates that Detroit males consistently had a higher rate of syphilis than Detroit females. In 2011, there were 66 males  per 100,000 male residents infected with syphilis and 21 females per 100,000 female residents infected.

The above chart shows Detroit males between the ages of 20 and 24 had the highest rate of syphilis infection in 2011. When looking at the 2011 rates for Detroit females only, the 25-29 year old age group had the highest rate.

There is no rate provided for the 15-19 female age group because not enough data was available. Also, no rates are provided for the 45 and older age group in the above chart because the data was too broad because of the age range to calculate a meaningful rate, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Similar to the syphilis rates, residents in Macomb and Oakland counties experienced relatively low and consistent gonorrhea rates from 1999-2011, compared to those in Detroit and Wayne County. In 2011, the gonorrhea rate in Macomb County was 60 cases per 100,000 residents; the rate was 82 per 100,000 in Oakland County. For Wayne County the gonorrhea rate in 2011 was 413 cases per 100,000 residents and it was 906 per 100,000 residents for Detroit. In 2008, a gonorrhea rate of 1,166 was recorded for Detroit residents; this was the peak during the time period examined, and it has declined somewhat since then.

From 1999 to 2000, males had a higher rate of gonorrhea infection than females in Detroit. Between 2001 and 2004, males and females had similar rates. In 2005, the rate of females infected with gonorrhea began to surpass that of males. In 2011, the rate of gonorrhea for females was 1,102 cases per 100,000 and the rate for males was 795 per 100,000.

For Detroit females in 2011, the 15-19 year old age group had the highest rate of gonorrhea infection. For Detroit males, the 20-24 year old age group had the highest rate of infection.

No rates are provided for the 45 and older age group in the above chart because the data was too broad because of the large age range to calculate a meaningful rate, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.