Gonorrhea Rates
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Gonorrhea Cases per 100,000 Population by County, New Mexico, 2021
Why Is This Important?
Gonorrhea is the second most common STD next to chlamydia. Many men with gonorrhea are asymptomatic and most women are. Untreated gonorrhea can increase a person's risk of acquiring HIV. Rates have been increasing since 2010, with higher rates among men. Highest rates are in the 20 to 29 year age group.
Definition
Gonorrhea cases reported in the state of New Mexico per 100,000 population.
Data Sources
- U.S. Data Source: Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/) - Patient Reporting Investigating Surveillance Manager, Infectious Disease Bureau, New Mexico Department of Health
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of cases of gonorrhea reported to the state of New Mexico (and Centers for Disease Control) in New Mexico residents from all health care providers. |
| Denominator: | Total Population |
How Are We Doing?
Overall, gonorrhea rates have been increasing from 2011 (88 per 100,000 population) to 2020 (215.9 per 100,000 population). This was a slight dip from 2019, when the rate was 232.8 per 100,000. This may have been due to a decrease in reporting due to Covid-19; however, this is only conjecture. In 2020, gonorrhea rates were highest in the Black/African American race/ethnicity category (504.5 per 100,000), second highest in the American Indian population, (274.1 per 100,000 population), and third highest in the Hispanic category (164.3 per 100,000). The lowest rates were found in the White category (91.7 per 100,000 population) and Asian/Pacific Islander category (66.7 per 100,000) respectively. By region, the highest gonorrhea rate for 2019 was found in the Northwest region (283.1 per 100,000), followed by the Metro region (255.3 per 100,000) and then closely followed by Southeast region (200.6 per 100,000), and lowest was the Southwest region (160.0 per 100,000). In conclusion, racial and ethnic disparities exist with this disease, as well as disparities by region. These issues need to be addressed in the consideration of resource allocation.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Gonorrhea rates in New Mexico ranked lower than U.S. rates for years 2015 and 2016, and then reversed and ranked higher than U.S. rates from 2017 to 2019. By 2020, New Mexico ranked 17th in the nation for gonorrhea.
What Is Being Done?
Routine screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia is recommended at least annually for all sexually-active, HIV-infected persons; more frequent screening may be indicated, depending on individual risk (2021 STD Treatment Guidelines, page 16). HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) should be screened per the recommendations for all MSM (2021 STD Treatment Guidelines, page 17). Screening for gonorrhea in men and older women who are at low risk for infection is not recommended.
More Resources
References: (1) https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/atlas/index.htm?s_cid=bb-od-atlasplus_002. Downloaded on 5/2/2022 (2) https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2020/tables.htm Reviewed on 5/6/2022