FAIR Health Data Shed Light on Rising STDs

February 20, 2020

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, the three most commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018. A new FAIR Health study, published as an infographic and drawing on FAIR Health’s repository of over 30 billion private healthcare claim records, sheds light on the growing public health issue of STDs.

Among the results of the FAIR Health study:

  • Claim lines with STD diagnoses, as a percentage of all medical claim lines, increased nationally 76 percent from 2007 to 2018. The increase was even greater in rural areas—98 percent, compared to 77 percent in urban areas.
  • The four STD diagnoses whose associated claim lines had the greatest percent increase from 2007 to 2018 as a percentage of all medical claim lines were:
    • Mycoplasma genitalium (MG or Mgen)—increased 197 percent;
    • Chlamydia—increased 149 percent;
    • Gonorrhea—increased 126 percent; and
    • Syphilis—increased 80 percent.
  • The age groups most associated with STDs in 2018 varied by the specific disease. The age groups that accounted for the largest share of claim lines were:
    • Age 41-50 for hepatitis B (29 percent);
    • Age 23-30 for chlamydia (38 percent); and
    • Age 31-40 for syphilis (24 percent).
  • In individuals over age 60, hepatitis B was the STD that showed the highest percent increase in claim lines from 2007 to 2018. Claim lines for hepatitis B increased more in the over 60 cohort (149 percent) than in any other age group.
  • The age groups with the greatest increase in claim lines from 2007 to 2018 were:
    • Age 19-22 for chlamydia (90 percent); and
    • Age 23-30 for syphilis (74 percent).
  • From 2007 to 2018, claim lines with gonorrhea diagnoses as a percentage of all medical claim lines by gender increased 326 percent in males compared to 47 percent in females.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: “It is central to FAIR Health’s mission to use our vast repository of claims data to research public health concerns and support such research by others. We hope this information brings greater clarity to the growing problem of STDs.”

For the FAIR Health infographic on STDs, click here.