STD Rates in Maine
CDC surveillance data for Maine covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV — with 15-year trends, state rankings, and national comparisons.
Maine is, by most measures, one of the lowest-burden states in the country for sexually transmitted diseases. In 2023, its combined STD rate of 267.1 per 100,000 people ranked 48th out of 50 states — meaning only two states had lower rates. But low overall numbers can obscure what's actually been happening beneath the surface, and in Maine's case, two of the three major STDs have changed sharply over the past 15 years in ways the headline ranking doesn't capture.
Chlamydia is the most common STD in Maine, as it is everywhere, with 3,034 cases diagnosed in 2023 at a rate of 217.4 per 100,000. That's well below the national median of 471.3 — less than half, in fact. The long-run picture is more complicated: the rate has climbed roughly 10% since 2008, peaked above 340 in 2017, and has been falling since. The 2023 figure is the lowest Maine has recorded in over a decade, down another 3.7% from 2022.
Gonorrhea tells a different story. The rate sat at just 7.3 per 100,000 in 2008. By 2023 it had reached 44.4 — a rise of more than 500% over that span. It's still well below the national median of 152.2, but the trajectory is hard to dismiss. Syphilis followed a similar arc: from a near-zero baseline of 0.8 per 100,000 in 2008 to a peak of 5.9 in 2022, before dipping to 5.3 in 2023. Both diseases essentially didn't exist at measurable levels in Maine two decades ago. Now they do.
HIV new diagnoses in Maine have been low and relatively stable, running between 29 and 31 cases per year from 2017 to 2021. The 2020 figure — just 15 cases — almost certainly reflects pandemic-era disruptions to testing rather than a genuine drop in transmission. By 2022, diagnoses had climbed to 42, the highest in the recent data window. If you live in Portland, Lewiston, or Bangor, STDTest.com can help you locate testing options near you.
STD Trends in Maine
Maine's chlamydia rate has been falling for several years running, and 2023's rate of 217.4 per 100,000 is the lowest the state has recorded in more than a decade. That's less than half the national median of 471.3, which puts Maine firmly among the country's lowest-burden states for this infection. The decline appears to be a genuine trend rather than a testing artifact — the rate peaked around 341 in 2017 and has dropped steadily since.
Gonorrhea is where Maine's numbers get harder to shrug off. The rate has risen more than 500% since 2008 — from 7.3 to 44.4 per 100,000 — even as it remains well below the national median of 152.2. That long climb happened gradually enough that it rarely made headlines, but the cumulative shift is substantial for a state that once had near-negligible gonorrhea rates.
Syphilis in Maine is still rare by national standards — the 2023 rate of 5.3 per 100,000 is well below the US median of 14.8. But the baseline it's being compared to was effectively zero: the rate was just 0.8 in 2008 and spent years in fractions before climbing through the 2010s. The 2023 figure represents a 10.2% drop from 2022's recent peak of 5.9, which is a shift worth watching but not yet a clear reversal.
Maine's HIV data runs through 2022 only, so recent trends should be read with that in mind. New diagnoses held steady between 29 and 31 cases annually from 2017 to 2019, then fell to 15 in 2020 — a drop almost certainly tied to reduced testing access during the pandemic rather than a real decline in transmission. By 2022, new diagnoses had risen to 42, the highest figure in the available data window.
Know your status — get tested today
Same-day testing at 4,500+ locations. No appointment needed. Results in 1–3 days.
Maine vs National Average
Comparing 2023 rates against the U.S. median across all 50 states.
| Infection | Maine | US Median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 217.4 | 471.3 | 53.9% below |
| Gonorrhea | 44.4 | 152.2 | 70.8% below |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 5.3 | 14.8 | 64.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin County | #1 of 16 | 465.0 | 356.9 | 100.2 | 7.9 |
| Cumberland County | #2 of 16 | 350.7 | 270.1 | 72.2 | 8.4 |
| York County | #3 of 16 | 265.0 | 223.3 | 37.1 | 4.6 |
| Franklin County | #4 of 16 | 246.5 | 175.2 | 68.1 | 3.2 |
| Penobscot County | #5 of 16 | 245.3 | 208.0 | 29.6 | 7.7 |
| Kennebec County | #6 of 16 | 239.7 | 197.2 | 40.1 | 2.4 |
| Somerset County | #7 of 16 | 220.2 | 191.0 | 27.3 | 1.9 |
| Oxford County | #8 of 16 | 215.3 | 171.9 | 35.1 | 8.3 |
| Piscataquis County | #9 of 16 | 188.7 | 188.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Waldo County | #10 of 16 | 187.1 | 167.4 | 12.3 | 7.4 |
| Sagadahoc County | #11 of 16 | 178.7 | 144.0 | 34.7 | 0.0 |
| Knox County | #12 of 16 | 166.0 | 148.9 | 12.2 | 4.9 |
| Hancock County | #13 of 16 | 154.0 | 134.5 | 17.7 | 1.8 |
| Lincoln County | #14 of 16 | 147.9 | 131.5 | 16.4 | 0.0 |
| Aroostook County | #15 of 16 | 144.1 | 129.2 | 13.4 | 1.5 |
| Washington County | #16 of 16 | 142.6 | 142.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
What the numbers mean — and what to do about them
Maine's combined STD rate of 267.1 per 100,000 translates to roughly 3,700 diagnoses across chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in 2023. That puts the state 58% below the national combined median — a genuine statistical outlier in a good direction. For a state of 1.4 million people, those are small numbers. But small doesn't mean zero, and the diseases that are growing in Maine have been doing so quietly for 15 years.
The trend that matters most clinically is the sustained rise in gonorrhea and syphilis from near-zero baselines. Both infections are frequently asymptomatic — meaning people carry and transmit them without knowing it. Gonorrhea's 500%-plus rise since 2008 happened largely in the background, without visible outbreaks or public warnings. That's exactly how these diseases move: slowly, silently, and through networks of people who have no reason to suspect they're infected. Chlamydia, still the most common of the three, has actually been falling since 2017 — but at a rate still high enough that regular testing remains the only reliable way to know your status.
If you live in Maine — particularly in or around Portland, Lewiston, or Bangor, where population density means higher contact rates — routine testing is the most practical tool available. Maine's numbers are low compared to most states, but gonorrhea has risen more than fivefold here since 2008 while staying largely invisible. STDTest.com can show you where to get tested today, so you're not part of a trend you didn't know existed.
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED
Anyone sexually active in Maine should consider routine testing, but it's especially relevant for people under 30 (who account for the majority of chlamydia cases), men who have sex with men (a key driver of Maine's gonorrhea and syphilis increases), and anyone with new or multiple partners in the past year. Maine's HIV diagnoses reached a recent high of 42 in 2022, making HIV testing a priority alongside the standard STD panel.
HOW OFTEN
Once a year is a reasonable baseline for sexually active adults in Maine given the state's relatively low overall rates. If you have multiple partners or are in a higher-risk network, every three to six months is more appropriate — particularly for gonorrhea and syphilis, which have climbed steadily in Maine since 2008 and remain largely asymptomatic in early infection.
WHAT TO EXPECT
STD testing is fast and straightforward. Depending on what you're testing for, it typically involves a urine sample, a blood draw, or a swab — and most results come back within a few days. Many clinics in Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor offer confidential testing without requiring you to involve your regular doctor. If a result comes back positive, treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis is available and effective.
Find a clinic near you
4,500+ testing locations nationwide. 100% confidential. Most insurance accepted.
