Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are rising in the U.S., with chlamydia rates nearly doubling over the past 24-years and gonorrhea rates going up by 50%. Syphilis rates have also surged, hitting levels that have not been seen since the 1950s.

Stacker.com utilized numbers from the CDC to determine what counties in Tennessee had the highest number of sexually transmitted diseases reported – in proportion to the population. The numbers gathered were for the most recent years that data was available and evidently, Rutherford County is ranked at number 12 on the list for high rates of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. Davidson County was ranked at number 7, Lauderdale County came in at number 3, followed by the Clarksville area of Montgomery County at number 2.  Taking home the trophy for the most STDs per capita was the Memphis / Shelby County area.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY DURING COVID PANDEMIC: In the Mid Cumberland Region, which includes Rutherford County and 11 additional counties (Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson Counties), STD cases increased during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. When comparing year-to-date statistics for the 4th week of August over several years, starting in 2018, there were 5,142 confirmed STD cases. By 2021, that number had increased by 21.5%. Gonorrhea saw the most significant rise, with a 44.4% increase. Although the total number of STD cases decreased by 2023, they did not return to pre-pandemic levels. In fact, 2023 recorded only a 13.8% drop in the total number of STD cases compared to the peak.