STD Rates in Indiana
CDC surveillance data for Indiana covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV — with 15-year trends, state and national comparisons, and testing resources across Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Evansville.
Indiana sits squarely in the middle of the national pack on STDs — 24th out of 50 states in 2023, with a combined rate of 643.7 per 100,000 people. That ranking sounds unremarkable until you look at where the state has been. Two diseases are falling right now, but one of them spent the better part of a decade climbing hard, and the trajectory on syphilis tells a story that a single year's improvement can't erase.
Chlamydia is Indiana's most common STD by volume — 33,693 cases in 2023, at a rate of 491.0 per 100,000. That sits just above the national median of 471.3, and it's actually edged down slightly from the 2019 peak of 526.3. The long-run picture is less reassuring: the rate has risen 41.5% since 2008. The recent plateau may reflect testing access as much as actual disease burden, since chlamydia often produces no symptoms and goes undiagnosed.
Gonorrhea peaked at 212.8 per 100,000 in 2021 — double what it was in 2010 — then fell sharply. By 2023 it was down to 144.0, now sitting below the national median of 152.2 for the first time in years. That's a real shift, but the rate is still 35% above where it was in 2009. Syphilis follows a similar arc: it hit 10.8 per 100,000 in 2021, dropped back to 8.7 in 2023, and remains well below the national median of 14.8. But in 2000, Indiana's syphilis rate was 5.8. By 2003 it had fallen to 0.8. What's happened since — a near-quadrupling — reflects a pattern playing out in states across the Midwest.
Indiana's HIV numbers add another layer. New diagnoses rose from 425 in 2020 to 611 in 2022 — the 2020 dip almost certainly reflects pandemic-related disruptions to testing rather than a real decline in transmission. The 2022 rate of 10.7 per 100,000 is the highest in the dataset. If you're in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, or Evansville, STDTest.com can connect you with local testing for HIV and all major STDs — many sites offer same-day results.
STD Trends in Indiana
Indiana's chlamydia rate has been above the national median for several years, and the long-run climb — up 41.5% since 2008 — shows no sign of reversing, even if the recent numbers look stable. The rate peaked in 2019 at 526.3 and has drifted down only modestly since, sitting at 491.0 in 2023. A plateau near the top of a long climb is not the same as a trend turning around.
After nearly doubling between 2009 and 2021, Indiana's gonorrhea rate has pulled back sharply — falling 20.6% in a single year to reach 144.0 in 2023, now below the national median of 152.2. That's the most significant one-year drop in the dataset. Even so, the rate is still nearly 35% higher than it was in 2009, which means the recent decline is returning the state toward a baseline that was already elevated.
Indiana's syphilis rate of 8.7 per 100,000 is well below the national median of 14.8 — but that comparison obscures how far the state has traveled. The rate was 0.8 in 2003, rose steadily for two decades, and peaked at 10.8 in 2021. The 13% drop in 2023 is the second consecutive yearly decline, which is notable, though the rate remains more than ten times what it was at its early-2000s low.
Indiana's HIV data runs through 2022, and the trend over that period is upward. New diagnoses climbed from 513 in 2017 to 611 in 2022 — a rate of 10.7 per 100,000, the highest point in the available data. The 2020 figure of 425 cases almost certainly reflects pandemic-era testing disruptions rather than genuine transmission decline; the sharp rebound in 2021 and continued rise in 2022 support that reading.
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Indiana vs National Average
Comparing 2023 rates against the U.S. median across all 50 states.
| Infection | Indiana | US Median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 491 | 471.3 | 4.2% above |
| Gonorrhea | 144 | 152.2 | 5.4% below |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 8.7 | 14.8 | 41.2% below |
STD Rates by County
County-level data from CDC surveillance. Ranked by combined rate per 100,000.
| County | State Rank | Combined | Chlamydia | Gonorrhea | Syphilis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | #1 of 92 | 1539.3 | 1110.6 | 407.7 | 21.0 |
| Vanderburgh County | #2 of 92 | 936.0 | 644.0 | 260.3 | 31.7 |
| Vigo County | #3 of 92 | 842.2 | 569.9 | 255.3 | 17.0 |
| Allen County | #4 of 92 | 814.0 | 608.0 | 197.4 | 8.6 |
| St. Joseph County | #5 of 92 | 748.4 | 606.2 | 134.5 | 7.7 |
| Lake County | #6 of 92 | 738.9 | 567.7 | 163.4 | 7.8 |
| Delaware County | #7 of 92 | 727.3 | 567.1 | 154.0 | 6.2 |
| Madison County | #8 of 92 | 713.2 | 520.7 | 169.1 | 23.4 |
| Tippecanoe County | #9 of 92 | 682.3 | 547.2 | 131.4 | 3.7 |
| Grant County | #10 of 92 | 661.6 | 504.5 | 154.1 | 3.0 |
| Clay County | #11 of 92 | 638.7 | 400.6 | 230.5 | 7.6 |
| Wayne County | #12 of 92 | 607.9 | 444.6 | 145.2 | 18.1 |
| Monroe County | #13 of 92 | 599.2 | 475.1 | 118.4 | 5.7 |
| Clark County | #14 of 92 | 572.3 | 406.5 | 153.8 | 12.0 |
| Parke County | #15 of 92 | 564.3 | 442.9 | 115.3 | 6.1 |
| Floyd County | #16 of 92 | 561.9 | 388.6 | 160.9 | 12.4 |
| Blackford County | #17 of 92 | 555.0 | 479.3 | 75.7 | 0.0 |
| Elkhart County | #18 of 92 | 552.3 | 471.4 | 76.1 | 4.8 |
| Howard County | #19 of 92 | 489.0 | 410.3 | 76.3 | 2.4 |
| Laporte County | #20 of 92 | 488.9 | 400.2 | 80.6 | 8.1 |
| Carroll County | #21 of 92 | 438.5 | 375.2 | 63.3 | 0.0 |
| Randolph County | #22 of 92 | 425.3 | 342.7 | 78.5 | 4.1 |
| Cass County | #23 of 92 | 424.8 | 377.0 | 37.2 | 10.6 |
| Hancock County | #24 of 92 | 423.6 | 355.1 | 65.0 | 3.5 |
| Putnam County | #25 of 92 | 420.6 | 327.4 | 93.2 | 0.0 |
| Knox County | #26 of 92 | 401.9 | 307.7 | 88.7 | 5.5 |
| Decatur County | #27 of 92 | 401.5 | 367.4 | 26.5 | 7.6 |
| Jackson County | #28 of 92 | 393.9 | 359.4 | 28.0 | 6.5 |
| Hendricks County | #29 of 92 | 391.2 | 313.9 | 71.4 | 5.9 |
| Jefferson County | #30 of 92 | 390.2 | 350.9 | 39.3 | 0.0 |
| Gibson County | #31 of 92 | 386.0 | 325.2 | 51.7 | 9.1 |
| Johnson County | #32 of 92 | 372.5 | 307.5 | 60.2 | 4.8 |
| Bartholomew County | #33 of 92 | 355.9 | 308.3 | 46.4 | 1.2 |
| Clinton County | #34 of 92 | 348.3 | 302.5 | 45.8 | 0.0 |
| Fayette County | #35 of 92 | 342.4 | 303.9 | 34.2 | 4.3 |
| Wabash County | #36 of 92 | 342.3 | 293.4 | 45.6 | 3.3 |
| Henry County | #37 of 92 | 339.3 | 312.7 | 22.5 | 4.1 |
| Warrick County | #38 of 92 | 333.9 | 259.6 | 62.2 | 12.1 |
| Montgomery County | #39 of 92 | 329.2 | 272.2 | 57.0 | 0.0 |
| Fountain County | #40 of 92 | 328.7 | 274.9 | 53.8 | 0.0 |
| Boone County | #41 of 92 | 320.6 | 254.9 | 63.1 | 2.6 |
| Vermillion County | #42 of 92 | 317.9 | 259.5 | 51.9 | 6.5 |
| Dekalb County | #43 of 92 | 316.8 | 264.7 | 45.3 | 6.8 |
| Morgan County | #44 of 92 | 314.1 | 245.8 | 61.5 | 6.8 |
| Sullivan County | #45 of 92 | 313.1 | 245.7 | 67.4 | 0.0 |
| Daviess County | #46 of 92 | 309.0 | 264.4 | 35.7 | 8.9 |
| Jennings County | #47 of 92 | 307.7 | 267.9 | 32.6 | 7.2 |
| Noble County | #48 of 92 | 303.6 | 267.8 | 33.7 | 2.1 |
| Dubois County | #49 of 92 | 298.6 | 266.4 | 29.9 | 2.3 |
| Shelby County | #50 of 92 | 296.3 | 241.0 | 53.1 | 2.2 |
| Porter County | #51 of 92 | 291.4 | 246.4 | 43.9 | 1.1 |
| Kosciusko County | #52 of 92 | 288.7 | 260.1 | 28.6 | 0.0 |
| Hamilton County | #53 of 92 | 280.5 | 229.3 | 47.4 | 3.8 |
| Orange County | #54 of 92 | 280.1 | 259.7 | 20.4 | 0.0 |
| Perry County | #55 of 92 | 275.9 | 197.8 | 72.9 | 5.2 |
| Miami County | #56 of 92 | 268.3 | 206.2 | 59.3 | 2.8 |
| Scott County | #57 of 92 | 267.6 | 235.2 | 24.3 | 8.1 |
| Lawrence County | #58 of 92 | 261.7 | 219.6 | 42.1 | 0.0 |
| White County | #59 of 92 | 260.9 | 212.7 | 48.2 | 0.0 |
| Huntington County | #60 of 92 | 247.4 | 195.8 | 48.9 | 2.7 |
| Whitley County | #61 of 92 | 244.7 | 204.4 | 40.3 | 0.0 |
| Posey County | #62 of 92 | 243.6 | 199.7 | 31.9 | 12.0 |
| Tipton County | #63 of 92 | 236.0 | 196.6 | 32.8 | 6.6 |
| Jay County | #64 of 92 | 234.6 | 199.7 | 34.9 | 0.0 |
| Crawford County | #65 of 92 | 230.0 | 162.9 | 57.5 | 9.6 |
| Steuben County | #66 of 92 | 229.2 | 191.9 | 34.4 | 2.9 |
| Spencer County | #67 of 92 | 226.0 | 170.8 | 50.2 | 5.0 |
| Washington County | #68 of 92 | 223.3 | 195.0 | 24.8 | 3.5 |
| Marshall County | #69 of 92 | 220.1 | 207.1 | 10.8 | 2.2 |
| Greene County | #70 of 92 | 214.8 | 176.3 | 35.3 | 3.2 |
| Jasper County | #71 of 92 | 214.7 | 199.8 | 14.9 | 0.0 |
| Starke County | #72 of 92 | 202.6 | 172.4 | 30.2 | 0.0 |
| Switzerland County | #73 of 92 | 199.6 | 189.6 | 10.0 | 0.0 |
| Harrison County | #74 of 92 | 187.5 | 155.0 | 25.0 | 7.5 |
| Owen County | #75 of 92 | 185.7 | 139.3 | 46.4 | 0.0 |
| Fulton County | #76 of 92 | 171.9 | 162.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Benton County | #77 of 92 | 171.8 | 148.9 | 22.9 | 0.0 |
| Dearborn County | #78 of 92 | 169.9 | 146.4 | 17.6 | 5.9 |
| Ohio County | #79 of 92 | 166.6 | 116.6 | 50.0 | 0.0 |
| Wells County | #80 of 92 | 164.6 | 143.6 | 14.0 | 7.0 |
| Pulaski County | #81 of 92 | 161.5 | 153.4 | 8.1 | 0.0 |
| Rush County | #82 of 92 | 160.3 | 148.4 | 11.9 | 0.0 |
| Lagrange County | #83 of 92 | 156.5 | 129.6 | 26.9 | 0.0 |
| Warren County | #84 of 92 | 152.6 | 140.9 | 11.7 | 0.0 |
| Adams County | #85 of 92 | 135.1 | 118.5 | 13.8 | 2.8 |
| Brown County | #86 of 92 | 134.1 | 89.4 | 44.7 | 0.0 |
| Pike County | #87 of 92 | 132.1 | 99.1 | 33.0 | 0.0 |
| Ripley County | #88 of 92 | 130.1 | 106.1 | 24.0 | 0.0 |
| Union County | #89 of 92 | 129.1 | 129.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Newton County | #90 of 92 | 121.8 | 100.3 | 21.5 | 0.0 |
| Franklin County | #91 of 92 | 121.2 | 108.2 | 8.7 | 4.3 |
| Martin County | #92 of 92 | 80.8 | 60.6 | 20.2 | 0.0 |
What the numbers mean — and what to do about them
Indiana's 2023 combined STD rate of 643.7 per 100,000 translates to roughly 44,000 diagnosed cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in a single year — in a state of about 6.9 million people. That's one diagnosis for every 155 residents, and it doesn't count the cases that were never tested for. The state ranks 24th nationally, which means half the country has a lower rate. The other half has a higher one. Indiana is in the middle, but the middle isn't neutral territory.
The trend that matters most right now is the one hiding in plain sight: chlamydia. It shows no symptoms in most people who have it, it's been rising in Indiana for most of the past 15 years, and the recent plateau near 491 per 100,000 almost certainly reflects testing patterns as much as actual prevalence. Gonorrhea's sharp 2023 decline is real, but the rate spent a decade climbing before it pulled back — and it's still elevated by historical standards. Both diseases are curable with antibiotics, but only if they're found. Untreated chlamydia in particular can cause lasting reproductive harm before a person ever notices anything is wrong.
If you live in Indiana — whether in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, or anywhere else in the state — routine STD testing is the only way to know your status with certainty. Indiana's HIV diagnosis rate hit 10.7 per 100,000 in 2022, the highest in recent data, and most new HIV cases are transmitted by people who don't know they're positive. Indiana's syphilis rate has risen nearly tenfold since 2003. These numbers built up quietly, over years, without most people noticing. STDTest.com can show you where to get tested in Indiana today — because the trends in this data didn't happen to other people.
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED
Any sexually active adult in Indiana should consider routine STD screening, but especially those under 25 — the age group that drives most chlamydia diagnoses in a state where the rate sits above the national median. Given Indiana's gonorrhea rate spent years above 150 per 100,000 before its recent drop, men who have sex with men and people with multiple partners face elevated risk. Indiana's rising HIV diagnosis rate — up to 10.7 per 100,000 in 2022 — makes HIV testing relevant for anyone who isn't regularly screened.
HOW OFTEN
Once a year is a reasonable floor for sexually active adults given Indiana's above-median chlamydia rate and elevated long-run gonorrhea trend. Every three to six months is more appropriate if you have multiple partners or don't consistently use barrier protection. Indiana's syphilis rate is nearly ten times what it was in the early 2000s — syphilis testing deserves to be part of the conversation too, not just chlamydia and gonorrhea.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Most STD tests involve a urine sample, a blood draw, or a quick swab — often a combination depending on what's being screened. The process typically takes under 30 minutes at a clinic. Many testing sites in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Evansville offer confidential results within a day or two, and some provide same-day appointments. A positive result means treatment, not a crisis — most bacterial STDs are curable with a short course of antibiotics.
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