STD Rates in Nebraska
CDC surveillance data for Nebraska covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV — with 15-year trends, state rankings, and national comparisons.
Nebraska sits in the middle of the national STD picture — ranked 29th out of 50 states with a combined rate of 594.7 per 100,000 people in 2023. But the middle of the pack doesn't mean static. All three major STDs declined year-over-year in 2023, yet the long-run trajectory since 2008 tells a different story: rates have climbed steadily across the board, and one number in particular — syphilis — has changed more sharply than almost anything else in Nebraska's public health data.
Chlamydia is the most common STD in Nebraska by a wide margin, accounting for over 9,200 of the roughly 11,700 combined cases diagnosed in 2023. At 468.8 per 100,000, the state's chlamydia rate sits just below the US median of 471.3 — close enough that it could cross above it in any given year. The rate did fall 4.2% from 2022, but that comes after decades of near-continuous growth. In 2000, Nebraska's chlamydia rate was 221.3. By 2023, it had more than doubled. A single down year doesn't reverse that arc.
Gonorrhea is the one area where Nebraska actually looks better than most of the country. At 115.5 per 100,000, the state's gonorrhea rate is nearly 25% below the US median of 152.2 — and it's been falling since 2020, when it peaked at 175.1. That's a genuine shift. But zoom out, and the rate is still 41% higher than it was in 2008. Syphilis complicates the picture further. The rate is currently 10.4 per 100,000 — below the US median of 14.8 — but it was essentially nonexistent in Nebraska before 2013. The rate sat below 1 per 100,000 for most of the 2000s. Since then, it's risen more than 1,200%. The 2023 number is slightly lower than 2022's 10.9, but the structural shift over 15 years is hard to ignore.
HIV diagnoses in Nebraska have fluctuated between roughly 70 and 106 new cases per year from 2017 to 2022 — the most recent years with available data. The 2020 dip to 72 cases likely reflects reduced testing access during the pandemic rather than an actual decline in transmission. By 2021, new diagnoses jumped to 106, the highest point in the six-year window. If you live in Omaha, Lincoln, or Bellevue — where the bulk of Nebraska's population and its STD caseload is concentrated — knowing your status is the only way to know your status. STDTest.com can help you find a testing location near you.
STD Trends in Nebraska
Nebraska's chlamydia rate has more than doubled since 2000, rising from 221.3 to 468.8 per 100,000 by 2023 — a long climb that shows little sign of reversing even as the 2023 number dipped slightly. At 468.8, the state is just a hair below the US median of 471.3, a margin that has narrowed considerably over the past decade. The 4.2% year-over-year decline is real, but it follows a 15-year trend that has consistently moved in one direction.
Nebraska's gonorrhea rate peaked in 2020 at 175.1 per 100,000 and has been declining since, landing at 115.5 in 2023 — about 24% below the US median of 152.2. That's one of the more favorable comparisons in Nebraska's STD profile. Even so, the 2023 rate is still 41% higher than it was in 2008, when it stood at 82.0, meaning the recent decline is pulling back from a high point, not from a historical baseline.
Nebraska's syphilis story is less about where the rate is now and more about how fast it got there. In 2008, the rate was 0.8 per 100,000 — barely detectable. By 2023, it was 10.4, a rise of more than 1,200% over 15 years. The current rate is below the US median of 14.8, and it ticked down slightly from 10.9 in 2022, but the long-run trajectory represents a fundamental change in Nebraska's syphilis burden.
Nebraska's HIV data runs through 2022, and the trend over that six-year window is uneven rather than directional. New diagnoses ranged from a low of 72 in 2020 to a high of 106 in 2021 — the 2020 dip almost certainly reflects pandemic-related disruptions to testing rather than a true reduction in transmission. The 2022 count of 90 cases brings the rate back to 5.5 per 100,000, roughly where it was in 2017.
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Nebraska vs National Average
Comparing 2023 rates against the U.S. median across all 50 states.
| Infection | Nebraska | US Median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 468.8 | 471.3 | 0.5% below |
| Gonorrhea | 115.5 | 152.2 | 24.1% below |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10.4 | 14.8 | 29.7% below |
What the numbers mean — and what to do about them
Nebraska's combined STD rate of 594.7 per 100,000 translates to roughly 11,700 new diagnoses across the state in 2023. That's about 32 people diagnosed every day — most of them in the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. The state ranks 29th nationally, which sounds reassuring until you look at how much rates have shifted over 15 years. Nebraska's chlamydia burden has more than doubled since 2000. Syphilis has risen more than 1,200% since 2008. The current snapshot looks moderate. The trend does not.
The disease with the most clinical weight right now is syphilis — not because its numbers are the largest, but because of how silently it spreads. Syphilis can remain asymptomatic for months or years while still being transmissible and causing internal damage. Nebraska's rate of 10.4 per 100,000 is below the US median, but it reflects a structural change from a baseline that was essentially zero two decades ago. Chlamydia carries a similar asymptomatic risk — most people who have it don't know it, which is exactly how it sustains a rate near the national median year after year.
If you live in Omaha, Lincoln, or Bellevue and you're sexually active, routine testing is the only way to stay ahead of infections that rarely announce themselves. Nebraska's syphilis rate has climbed more than tenfold since 2008 without most residents noticing. STDTest.com can show you where to get tested today — search by zip code to find a clinic near you.
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED
Sexually active adults in Nebraska, particularly those in Omaha, Lincoln, and Bellevue, where caseloads are highest. Given that Nebraska's chlamydia rate is near the national median and syphilis has risen sharply over the past decade, anyone who is sexually active with new or multiple partners should not assume they'd know if something were wrong — most infections produce no symptoms.
HOW OFTEN
Once a year is a reasonable floor for most sexually active adults. Given Nebraska's near-median chlamydia rate and a syphilis rate that has climbed steadily since 2013, those with multiple partners or inconsistent condom use should consider testing every three to six months. The recent year-over-year declines in 2023 don't change the underlying exposure risk.
WHAT TO EXPECT
STD testing is quick, straightforward, and in most cases involves nothing more than a urine sample or a swab. Results typically come back within a few days. Most infections detected early — including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis — are treatable with a short course of antibiotics. Finding a testing location in Nebraska takes less than a minute on STDTest.com.
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