Several WA counties’ STD rates among highest in US, study says. See full list
A recent report found that Washington is toward the bottom of the list nationwide when it comes to sexually transmitted infection rates.
The report from Invigor Medical, a medical clinic based in Washington, examined data on the number of HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia cases reported in each state . It found that Washington was ranked No. 39 nationally with 547 newly-reported cases per 100,000 people.
The infections “remain a persistent public health challenge in the United States, affecting millions of people each year,” according to a report by the telehealth company.
The report, which uses data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlights states and counties with the highest STD rates.
Washington STD rates by county
Louisiana is ranked at the top of the Invigor report, with about 1,202 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Mississippi and Alaska.
Vermont was No. 50, with 241 cases per 100,000 people.
Among counties, Yakima County ranked the highest in Washington, at No. 69, with nearly 1,031 cases per 100,000 people.
Pierce, Benton, Spokane and King counties all cracked the top 200, at Nos. 148, 178, 195 and 198, respectively.
Clark, Thurston, Whatcom, Snohomish and Kitsap counties were ranked between No. 235 and 303, according to the report.
Thurston County, at No. 269, had nearly 436.5 cases per 100,000 people, while Whatcom County, at No. 301, had about 365 cases per 100,000 people, the report said.
The report used 2023 data from the CDC, and it looked at newly-reported STD cases versus overall cases.
Washington state data by STD
Nationwide, new STD cases climbed between 2013 and 2023, from 1.8 million to about 2.5 million, the report said.
Syphilis saw the steepest increase, “while HIV remains relatively stable,” according to the report.
Here’s a look at the most recent reported STD cases in Washington, per Invigor Medical:
- Chlamydia: 27,687 cases
- Gonorrhea: 10,129 cases
- Syphilis: 4,424 cases
- HIV: 419 cases
Washington STD data by county
Here are newly-reported STD cases in some of Washington’s highest-ranking counties, according to the Invigor Medical:
Yakima County
- Chlamydia: 1,907 cases
- Gonorrhea: 362 cases
- Syphilis: 355 cases
- HIV: 17 cases
Pierce County
- Chlamydia: 4,335 cases
- Gonorrhea: 1,530 cases
- Syphilis: 688 cases
- HIV: 65 cases
Benton County
- Chlamydia: 1,017 cases
- Gonorrhea: 246 cases
- Syphilis: 125 cases
- HIV: 9 cases
Spokane County
- Chlamydia: 2,084 cases
- Gonorrhea: 872 cases
- Syphilis: 378 cases
- HIV: 33 cases
King County
- Chlamydia: 7,360 cases
- Gonorrhea: 4,509 cases
- Syphilis: 1,647 cases
- HIV: 176 cases
Thurston County
- Chlamydia: 943 cases
- Gonorrhea: 253 cases
- Syphilis: 95 cases
- HIV: 12 cases
Whatcom County
- Chlamydia: 643 cases
- Gonorrhea: 145 cases
- Syphilis: 53 cases
- HIV: 5 cases
What STD resources are available in Washington?
If you think you’ve been exposed to an STD, it’s important to get tested, experts say.
The Washington State Department of Health has a list of testing sites by county on its website.
A FAQ section also covers the basics of STDs.
And local health departments and health districts, including Public Health — Seattle & King County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, the Spokane Regional Health District, Benton-Franklin Health District and the the Yakima Health District, also have information and resources available.
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 1:52 PM.
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