STD Rates in Nevada
CDC surveillance data for Nevada covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV — with 15-year trends, state rankings, and national comparisons.
Nevada ranks 18th in the country for combined STD burden — not the worst, but well into the top third. The combined rate of 721 cases per 100,000 people sits about 13% above the national median. What makes Nevada's picture more complicated is that 2023 actually brought declines across all three major diseases. That's worth noting — but those declines follow years of sustained increases, and the long-run numbers tell a different story than the most recent snapshot.
Chlamydia remains Nevada's highest-volume disease, with nearly 15,800 cases diagnosed in 2023. The rate of 493.6 per 100,000 is above the US median of 471.3, though the gap isn't wide. What's more notable is the trajectory: the rate has climbed roughly 33% since 2008, and while it peaked around 2018 and has drifted down since, it hasn't come close to reversing that long-run rise. Nevada still diagnoses chlamydia at a rate that outpaces the national middle.
Gonorrhea is where Nevada's numbers are hardest to shrug off. The 2023 rate of 204.7 per 100,000 is 35% above the US median of 152.2 — and that's after a 12% drop from 2022. Since 2008, gonorrhea in Nevada has risen 146%. It peaked at 270 per 100,000 in 2021 before pulling back, but it remains well above where it was for most of the 2000s and 2010s. Syphilis moved in the opposite direction recently — down 20% in a single year, from 28.4 to 22.7 per 100,000 — though it's still more than 50% above the national median of 14.8 and has risen nearly 700% since 2008.
Nevada's HIV data runs through 2022 and shows a state that has stayed close to 500 new diagnoses per year, with a rate hovering around 20 per 100,000. Cases dipped to 397 in 2020 — almost certainly a reflection of reduced testing access during the pandemic rather than a real decline — before rebounding to 537 in 2022, the highest point in the tracked period. If you're in Las Vegas, Henderson, or Reno, STDTest.com can help you find a nearby testing location for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
STD Trends in Nevada
Nevada's chlamydia rate has been above the national median for years, but the more telling detail is how it got there. The rate nearly doubled from 2000 to its peak around 2018, climbing from 199 to 578 per 100,000 — a long, steady rise that leveled off rather than reversed. The 2023 rate of 493.6 reflects a modest pullback from that peak, but it's still 22 points above the US median of 471.3.
Gonorrhea has been Nevada's sharpest-moving disease over the past 15 years. The rate has risen 146% since 2008 — from 83 to 204.7 per 100,000 — and even after falling 12% in 2023, it sits 35% above the national median of 152.2. The 2021 peak of 270 per 100,000 was the highest recorded rate in the dataset, and while the trend is now heading down, the floor appears to be considerably higher than it was a decade ago.
Syphilis in Nevada dropped 20% in a single year, from 28.4 per 100,000 in 2022 to 22.7 in 2023 — the most pronounced single-year decline among the three diseases. That's a real shift, but the long view tempers it: the rate was just 2.9 per 100,000 in 2008, meaning it has risen nearly 700% over 15 years despite the recent drop. At 22.7, Nevada's syphilis rate is still more than 50% above the US median of 14.8.
Nevada's HIV data covers 2017 through 2022 only, so it doesn't reflect the most recent trends. Within that window, new diagnoses held relatively steady near 500 per year and a rate of roughly 20 per 100,000 — until 2020, when cases fell to 397, a drop almost certainly tied to pandemic-era disruptions in testing and care access rather than a genuine reduction in transmission. By 2022, diagnoses had climbed to 537 — the highest annual count in the tracked period.
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Nevada vs National Average
Comparing 2023 rates against the U.S. median across all 50 states.
| Infection | Nevada | US Median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 493.6 | 471.3 | 4.7% above |
| Gonorrhea | 204.7 | 152.2 | 34.5% above |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 22.7 | 14.8 | 53.4% above |
STD Rates by County
County-level data from CDC surveillance. Ranked by combined rate per 100,000.
| County | State Rank | Combined | Chlamydia | Gonorrhea | Syphilis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | #1 of 16 | 808.3 | 537.7 | 246.9 | 23.7 |
| Washoe County | #2 of 16 | 613.0 | 461.4 | 121.9 | 29.7 |
| White Pine County | #3 of 16 | 422.4 | 340.3 | 70.4 | 11.7 |
| Carson City | #4 of 16 | 403.3 | 332.6 | 58.6 | 12.1 |
| Elko County | #5 of 16 | 395.9 | 326.0 | 68.1 | 1.8 |
| Churchill County | #6 of 16 | 368.2 | 317.8 | 34.9 | 15.5 |
| Eureka County | #7 of 16 | 365.2 | 313.0 | 52.2 | 0.0 |
| Lander County | #8 of 16 | 364.0 | 346.7 | 17.3 | 0.0 |
| Lyon County | #9 of 16 | 305.2 | 273.2 | 25.6 | 6.4 |
| Humboldt County | #10 of 16 | 250.9 | 198.4 | 46.7 | 5.8 |
| Storey County | #11 of 16 | 239.4 | 191.5 | 47.9 | 0.0 |
| Mineral County | #12 of 16 | 220.9 | 198.8 | 22.1 | 0.0 |
| Nye County | #13 of 16 | 211.7 | 154.3 | 52.0 | 5.4 |
| Douglas County | #14 of 16 | 191.7 | 157.4 | 30.3 | 4.0 |
| Pershing County | #15 of 16 | 157.1 | 125.7 | 31.4 | 0.0 |
| Lincoln County | #16 of 16 | 134.7 | 89.8 | 44.9 | 0.0 |
What the numbers mean — and what to do about them
Nevada had roughly 23,000 diagnosed cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in 2023 — about 63 new diagnoses every day across the state. A combined rate of 721 per 100,000 puts Nevada in the top third nationally, ranking 18th out of 50 states. That's not a crisis number, but it reflects a state where STD transmission is meaningfully above average and has been for years.
The trend that matters most clinically is gonorrhea. Even after two years of decline, Nevada's gonorrhea rate is 35% above the national median — and gonorrhea, like chlamydia, often produces no symptoms. Someone can carry and transmit either infection for months without knowing. That's what makes the long-run rise significant: the gap between diagnosed cases and actual infections is almost certainly wider than the reported numbers suggest. Syphilis follows a similar pattern — it dropped sharply in 2023, but it has risen nearly 700% since 2008 and remains well above the national median.
If you live in Las Vegas, Henderson, or Reno — where most of Nevada's population and testing infrastructure is concentrated — routine testing is the only way to know your status. Annual testing covers most people, but if you have multiple partners or recent unprotected sex, every three to six months is more appropriate given Nevada's gonorrhea and syphilis rates. Nevada's gonorrhea rate has more than doubled since 2008 without most people noticing. STDTest.com can show you where to get tested today.
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED
Anyone sexually active in Nevada should consider routine testing — but especially people in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno, where transmission rates are highest. Nevada's gonorrhea rate is 35% above the national median and its syphilis rate is more than 50% above it, so those two infections are especially worth screening for alongside chlamydia. Men who have sex with men, people with multiple partners, and anyone who has had unprotected sex recently are at elevated risk given the state's trend data.
HOW OFTEN
Once a year is a reasonable floor for sexually active adults in Nevada. Given that gonorrhea has remained well above the national median for years — and syphilis has trended up sharply over the past decade and a half — people with multiple partners or new partners should consider testing every three to six months. Don't wait for symptoms: most gonorrhea and chlamydia cases produce none.
WHAT TO EXPECT
STD testing is quick and straightforward. Most panels involve a urine sample or a swab — sometimes a blood draw for syphilis and HIV — and results typically come back within a few days. Many clinics in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno offer confidential testing, and some provide same-day appointments. If something comes back positive, treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis is available and usually effective with a short course of antibiotics.
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