Love is in the air, but sexually transmitted diseases may be in the sheets, according to a new study.
Bakersfield is ranked #41 on the top 100 cities with the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in a Jan. 2024 study conducted by Innerbody, a national research-based group.
According to Eric Rodriguez, CEO and co-founder of Innerbody, this is the seventh time the study has been conducted, and the numbers in Bakersfield only seem to be increasing.
“What’s interesting is that Bakersfield dropped six spots in our rankings last year, ending up at #41,” Rodriguez wrote via email.
Per the latest study, Bakersfield had reported 182 cases of HIV, 5971 cases of chlamydia, 2231 cases of gonorrhea and 284 cases of syphilis. Overall, the study found there were 953 cases of STDs per every 100,000 residents in Bakersfield.
Last year, Rodriguez said Bakersfield’s numbers of STD cases were lower, with the exception of syphilis.
“We dug deeper and found that overall, reported cases went up for everything except syphilis,” wrote Rodriguez. “It seems like Bakersfield’s numbers are on the rise, but maybe not as fast as in other places, which is why they’re a bit lower on our ranking this time around.”
Last year, the study recorded that Bakersfield had 182 HIV cases, 348 syphilis cases, 1986 gonorrhea cases and 5971 Chlamydia cases. The study had found that there were 858 cases per 100,000 Bakersfield residents.
The data for the study is found through data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Rodriguez said. However, the study’s website states that only primary and secondary syphilis cases are reported. HIV cases are also not always reported.
Statistics for other common STDs, such as herpes, were left out of the study due to the CDC not recording any data on them.
While the numbers seem intimidating, there are ways to stay safe during the season of love. For school resources on how to protect yourself and your partner, visit Bakersfield College’s student health resources site.
To view Innerbody’s latest STD study, visit their website.