Health.gov and Healthy People 2030 reported each year in the United States alone there are an estimated 20 million new cases of STIs. In addition, over 1.2 million people living with HIV(human immunodeficiency virus).

CDC’s report from 2022 STI Surveillance reported that there were more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in the United States. Health rankings from data in 2021 showed Hudson County, New Jersey had 416.1 new cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people which is noted to be higher than New Jersey at 360,7 but lower than the U.S. average at 495.5.

Map.aidsvu.org gives estimated details from data in 2021 per county and state of people living with HIV. There are an estimated 35,207 HIV cases in New Jersey, while Hudson County alone had 4,936 HIV cases. The prevalence rate of new HIV cases in New Jersey is 449 per 100.000 with a new diagnosis rate of 15 cases per 100.000. Whereas Hudson County reports had an HIV prevalence rate of 829 cases per 100.000 with a new diagnosis rate of 25 cases per 100.000. From the same data, it was reported that the rates of Gonorrhea (134 per 100,000), Chlamydia(416 per 100,000), and Syphilis rates (16 per 100,000) were higher in Hudson County than in New Jersey.

It is important to understand STIs and HIV rates at the local level so that we can assess our community needs and better equip them with prevention and treatment efforts. Multi-level interventions are effective in a variety of settings when implemented for an individual, group, and the community at large. The JC Department of Health and Human Services strives to provide a comprehensive harm reduction program through education around safer sex practices and prevention efforts. Our goal is to reduce new infection rates, end the HIV epidemic by 2030, and enhance the health of individuals living with the disease.

As per County Health Rankings, teen pregnancy rates in Hudson County (14 per 1000 females ages 15-19) are also higher than the New Jersey State’s average (10 per 1000). Implementing evidence-based prevention programs has been proven to provide better outcomes. Examples of this would be HIV/STI education programs, NJ Personal Responsibility Education, and Title V Abstinence Education Programs. The objective is to reduce the frequency of sexual activity, and number of partners, and reduce teen pregnancy rates.