Chlamydia, the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in America, has its highest rates in Maryland within the University of Maryland – College Park’s zip code, according to a report by The Diamondback, the university’s independent student newspaper.
The state ranked 20th in the nation in chlamydial infections, and reported rates of chlamydia among women were 2.3 times greater than those among men, according to a 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported 6,153 cases of chlamydia in Prince George’s County, topped only by Baltimore City (6,728). Mapping by zip codes showed the University of Maryland’s area had a chlamydia rate of more than 800 cases per 100,000 population.
Jenna Beckwith, sexual health programs coordinator for the University Health Center on College Park’s campus, told The Diamondback there are several reasons for the increased rate in that area. She said the large population on campus, disproportionate effect of sexually transmitted infections on young adults under 25, increased risk-taking and feelings of invincibility and a lack of through education and conversations about the disease contribute to the high rate.
"Many college students are surprised to learn that every single STI can be passed through oral sex," Beckwith told The Diamondback.
"It's probably most common because of high rates of sexual activity, particularly with multiple partners or more than one, even if they're spaced out," Bradley Boekeloo, a professor in the school of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center, told the student newspaper.
The University of Maryland Medical Center has more information about symptoms and testing. Because many people with chlamydia may not have symptoms, they said sexually active adults should be screened periodically for the infection.
