STD Rates in Virginia
CDC surveillance data for Virginia covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV — with 15-year trends, city-level context, and national comparisons.
Virginia sits almost exactly in the middle of the country when it comes to STD burden — 26th out of 50 states, with a combined rate of 641.8 cases per 100,000 people. That's close enough to average to seem reassuring. But the disease doing the most work to get Virginia there isn't chlamydia or gonorrhea. It's syphilis, which has risen more than 200% since 2008 and shows little sign of reversing.
Chlamydia is Virginia's most common STD by a wide margin — 41,206 cases in 2023, at a rate of 472.8 per 100,000. That puts the state just barely above the national median of 471.3, the kind of gap that barely registers statistically. What's more notable is the long view: after climbing steadily from 393 per 100,000 in 2009 to a peak of 564.3 in 2019, rates fell during the pandemic years and have essentially plateaued since. The state has been hovering in the same narrow band — 467 to 473 — for three straight years.
Gonorrhea tells a different story. Virginia's rate of 158.3 sits above the national median of 152.2, and while the year-over-year change is modest — up 2.3% from 2022 — the longer arc matters more. Since 2008, gonorrhea in Virginia has climbed nearly 20%, recovering from a low of 80.5 in 2011 to where it stands today. Syphilis is where the trajectory is sharpest: a rate of 10.7 per 100,000 in 2023 is actually a hair below last year's 10.8, but it represents a tripling of where Virginia was fifteen years ago. The national median is 14.8, so Virginia remains below it — but the gap has narrowed significantly.
HIV diagnoses in Virginia averaged around 850 cases per year between 2017 and 2019, dipped to 620 in 2020 — almost certainly a reflection of pandemic-era testing disruptions rather than an actual decline — and have since climbed back toward pre-pandemic levels, reaching 836 cases in 2022. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake together represent a significant share of the state's population and disease burden. If you live in or around those cities and haven't been tested recently, STDTest.com can show you where to go today.
STD Trends in Virginia
Virginia's chlamydia rate has effectively stalled. After nearly doubling between 2000 and 2019 — rising from 216 to 564 per 100,000 — the rate has flatlined near 470 for three consecutive years, sitting just one point above the national median of 471.3 in 2023. The plateau isn't a resolution; chlamydia remains the state's most prevalent STD by far, with over 41,000 new diagnoses in a single year.
Gonorrhea in Virginia bottomed out at 80.5 per 100,000 in 2011 and has been grinding upward ever since, reaching 158.3 in 2023 — a 96% increase over that low point and now above the national median of 152.2. The year-over-year uptick of 2.3% is small, but it continues a pattern of slow, consistent pressure that has persisted for over a decade with no clear reversal.
Syphilis is Virginia's most changed disease over the long run. The rate has risen more than 200% since 2008, from 3.4 to 10.7 per 100,000 — even as the 2023 figure represents a slight dip from 2022's 10.8. Virginia still sits below the national median of 14.8, but the distance has shrunk considerably from a decade ago, when the state's rate was less than half the national figure.
Virginia's HIV data runs through 2022 and shows a state that had largely stabilized around 850–860 annual diagnoses before the pandemic. The 2020 figure of 620 cases — a 28% single-year drop — almost certainly reflects missed diagnoses due to clinic closures and reduced testing access, not a genuine decline in transmission. By 2022, diagnoses had returned to 836, close to where they were in 2017.
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Virginia vs National Average
Comparing 2023 rates against the U.S. median across all 50 states.
| Infection | Virginia | US Median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 472.8 | 471.3 | 0.3% above |
| Gonorrhea | 158.3 | 152.2 | 4% above |
| Syphilis (P&S) | 10.7 | 14.8 | 27.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth City | #1 of 133 | 2385.5 | 1696.4 | 655.0 | 34.1 |
| Petersburg City | #2 of 133 | 2041.5 | 1348.0 | 630.5 | 63.0 |
| Norfolk City | #3 of 133 | 1782.4 | 1229.8 | 514.9 | 37.7 |
| Richmond City | #4 of 133 | 1702.5 | 1129.8 | 518.2 | 54.5 |
| Hampton City | #5 of 133 | 1542.8 | 1088.3 | 435.5 | 19.0 |
| Newport News City | #6 of 133 | 1523.6 | 1047.4 | 458.7 | 17.5 |
| Hopewell City | #7 of 133 | 1463.6 | 975.7 | 457.1 | 30.8 |
| Nottoway County | #8 of 133 | 1381.2 | 1124.2 | 237.7 | 19.3 |
| Roanoke City | #9 of 133 | 1312.1 | 956.0 | 338.6 | 17.5 |
| Martinsville City | #10 of 133 | 1286.1 | 886.4 | 392.4 | 7.3 |
| Harrisonburg City | #11 of 133 | 1284.2 | 1090.4 | 184.0 | 9.8 |
| Danville City | #12 of 133 | 1242.9 | 925.0 | 301.2 | 16.7 |
| Suffolk City | #13 of 133 | 1049.1 | 761.0 | 267.2 | 20.9 |
| Franklin City | #14 of 133 | 1031.3 | 779.5 | 239.8 | 12.0 |
| Emporia City | #15 of 133 | 951.9 | 750.5 | 201.4 | 0.0 |
| Fredericksburg City | #16 of 133 | 895.3 | 670.6 | 214.3 | 10.4 |
| Henrico County | #17 of 133 | 849.6 | 595.7 | 231.2 | 22.7 |
| Mecklenburg County | #18 of 133 | 841.8 | 652.6 | 182.7 | 6.5 |
| Brunswick County | #19 of 133 | 825.5 | 558.8 | 254.0 | 12.7 |
| Chesapeake City | #20 of 133 | 820.5 | 604.6 | 202.5 | 13.4 |
| Alexandria City | #21 of 133 | 783.3 | 536.0 | 233.8 | 13.5 |
| Lynchburg City | #22 of 133 | 763.1 | 590.9 | 147.1 | 25.1 |
| Prince Edward County | #23 of 133 | 757.3 | 566.9 | 172.3 | 18.1 |
| Essex County | #24 of 133 | 754.9 | 651.1 | 103.8 | 0.0 |
| Prince George County | #25 of 133 | 748.8 | 555.2 | 184.3 | 9.3 |
| Radford City | #26 of 133 | 742.4 | 689.4 | 53.0 | 0.0 |
| Charlottesville City | #27 of 133 | 738.1 | 544.7 | 182.3 | 11.1 |
| Lunenburg County | #28 of 133 | 722.7 | 531.6 | 182.8 | 8.3 |
| Virginia Beach City | #29 of 133 | 721.9 | 536.1 | 178.3 | 7.5 |
| Manassas City | #30 of 133 | 719.1 | 520.0 | 192.1 | 7.0 |
| Waynesboro City | #31 of 133 | 698.8 | 496.1 | 194.1 | 8.6 |
| Richmond County | #32 of 133 | 696.9 | 468.2 | 206.9 | 21.8 |
| Sussex County | #33 of 133 | 678.6 | 511.3 | 167.3 | 0.0 |
| Surry County | #34 of 133 | 667.4 | 530.9 | 121.3 | 15.2 |
| Winchester City | #35 of 133 | 659.0 | 525.0 | 123.1 | 10.9 |
| Charles City County | #36 of 133 | 650.5 | 544.6 | 105.9 | 0.0 |
| Arlington County | #37 of 133 | 630.0 | 444.6 | 173.4 | 12.0 |
| Colonial Heights City | #38 of 133 | 608.9 | 467.6 | 125.0 | 16.3 |
| Chesterfield County | #39 of 133 | 606.1 | 461.6 | 132.3 | 12.2 |
| Halifax County | #40 of 133 | 604.2 | 433.7 | 164.5 | 6.0 |
| Henry County | #41 of 133 | 577.4 | 388.3 | 183.1 | 6.0 |
| Greensville County | #42 of 133 | 565.9 | 395.2 | 170.7 | 0.0 |
| Caroline County | #43 of 133 | 563.7 | 432.0 | 122.5 | 9.2 |
| Dinwiddie County | #44 of 133 | 557.5 | 444.6 | 112.9 | 0.0 |
| Manassas Park City | #45 of 133 | 550.1 | 366.7 | 177.3 | 6.1 |
| Westmoreland County | #46 of 133 | 541.7 | 415.5 | 126.2 | 0.0 |
| Isle Of Wight County | #47 of 133 | 538.0 | 388.1 | 142.5 | 7.4 |
| Prince William County | #48 of 133 | 537.0 | 403.6 | 125.8 | 7.6 |
| Lancaster County | #49 of 133 | 534.1 | 405.2 | 128.9 | 0.0 |
| Northampton County | #50 of 133 | 515.8 | 391.0 | 116.5 | 8.3 |
| Covington City | #51 of 133 | 505.0 | 378.7 | 90.2 | 36.1 |
| Southampton County | #52 of 133 | 500.7 | 383.9 | 116.8 | 0.0 |
| Northumberland County | #53 of 133 | 500.4 | 371.2 | 121.1 | 8.1 |
| Accomack County | #54 of 133 | 490.4 | 418.2 | 72.2 | 0.0 |
| Williamsburg City | #55 of 133 | 485.9 | 353.4 | 107.3 | 25.2 |
| Culpeper County | #56 of 133 | 472.9 | 400.2 | 69.1 | 3.6 |
| Pittsylvania County | #57 of 133 | 471.8 | 381.1 | 89.0 | 1.7 |
| Staunton City | #58 of 133 | 470.8 | 324.1 | 142.8 | 3.9 |
| Spotsylvania County | #59 of 133 | 443.9 | 331.6 | 106.3 | 6.0 |
| Stafford County | #60 of 133 | 439.4 | 337.3 | 96.7 | 5.4 |
| Amherst County | #61 of 133 | 436.4 | 388.6 | 44.6 | 3.2 |
| Appomattox County | #62 of 133 | 426.9 | 338.0 | 88.9 | 0.0 |
| Orange County | #63 of 133 | 422.6 | 337.0 | 70.0 | 15.6 |
| York County | #64 of 133 | 415.8 | 308.7 | 97.2 | 9.9 |
| Albemarle County | #65 of 133 | 407.2 | 317.3 | 85.6 | 4.3 |
| Galax City | #66 of 133 | 402.0 | 223.3 | 148.9 | 29.8 |
| Campbell County | #67 of 133 | 401.6 | 351.0 | 45.2 | 5.4 |
| Fairfax County | #68 of 133 | 401.0 | 309.0 | 86.9 | 5.1 |
| Charlotte County | #69 of 133 | 397.0 | 335.2 | 61.8 | 0.0 |
| King George County | #70 of 133 | 388.5 | 262.5 | 119.0 | 7.0 |
| Cumberland County | #71 of 133 | 384.7 | 303.7 | 81.0 | 0.0 |
| Buckingham County | #72 of 133 | 382.9 | 318.1 | 58.9 | 5.9 |
| Montgomery County | #73 of 133 | 382.1 | 333.4 | 41.6 | 7.1 |
| Buena Vista City | #74 of 133 | 380.7 | 243.7 | 121.8 | 15.2 |
| Augusta County | #75 of 133 | 369.3 | 288.8 | 70.3 | 10.2 |
| Fairfax City | #76 of 133 | 361.9 | 298.3 | 51.7 | 11.9 |
| Fluvanna County | #77 of 133 | 358.4 | 281.1 | 73.8 | 3.5 |
| Bristol City | #78 of 133 | 351.0 | 214.2 | 124.9 | 11.9 |
| Roanoke County | #79 of 133 | 347.4 | 279.3 | 62.9 | 5.2 |
| King William County | #80 of 133 | 346.9 | 283.8 | 57.8 | 5.3 |
| Salem City | #81 of 133 | 335.9 | 261.7 | 70.3 | 3.9 |
| Smyth County | #82 of 133 | 335.4 | 267.0 | 65.0 | 3.4 |
| Pulaski County | #83 of 133 | 326.8 | 267.4 | 59.4 | 0.0 |
| Warren County | #84 of 133 | 320.2 | 253.3 | 66.9 | 0.0 |
| James City County | #85 of 133 | 313.4 | 232.3 | 79.9 | 1.2 |
| Shenandoah County | #86 of 133 | 307.4 | 272.0 | 31.0 | 4.4 |
| Rockingham County | #87 of 133 | 305.0 | 254.1 | 45.1 | 5.8 |
| Louisa County | #88 of 133 | 304.6 | 236.4 | 60.9 | 7.3 |
| Middlesex County | #89 of 133 | 302.1 | 256.3 | 45.8 | 0.0 |
| Hanover County | #90 of 133 | 298.7 | 227.8 | 68.3 | 2.6 |
| King And Queen County | #91 of 133 | 297.6 | 238.1 | 59.5 | 0.0 |
| Franklin County | #92 of 133 | 297.0 | 225.0 | 66.6 | 5.4 |
| Wythe County | #93 of 133 | 291.8 | 195.7 | 96.1 | 0.0 |
| Amelia County | #94 of 133 | 289.3 | 252.2 | 37.1 | 0.0 |
| Norton City | #95 of 133 | 286.3 | 257.7 | 0.0 | 28.6 |
| Gloucester County | #96 of 133 | 277.1 | 217.2 | 54.9 | 5.0 |
| New Kent County | #97 of 133 | 275.5 | 225.8 | 45.9 | 3.8 |
| Frederick County | #98 of 133 | 267.7 | 237.5 | 29.2 | 1.0 |
| Falls Church City | #99 of 133 | 265.5 | 231.5 | 34.0 | 0.0 |
| Nelson County | #100 of 133 | 258.4 | 210.8 | 47.6 | 0.0 |
| Loudoun County | #101 of 133 | 253.1 | 206.3 | 43.8 | 3.0 |
| Wise County | #102 of 133 | 247.3 | 193.3 | 48.3 | 5.7 |
| Alleghany County | #103 of 133 | 239.8 | 191.8 | 48.0 | 0.0 |
| Giles County | #104 of 133 | 237.0 | 212.7 | 18.2 | 6.1 |
| Patrick County | #105 of 133 | 234.2 | 177.1 | 57.1 | 0.0 |
| Fauquier County | #106 of 133 | 227.6 | 187.6 | 37.3 | 2.7 |
| Scott County | #107 of 133 | 224.0 | 182.0 | 37.3 | 4.7 |
| Mathews County | #108 of 133 | 223.1 | 187.9 | 35.2 | 0.0 |
| Rockbridge County | #109 of 133 | 219.2 | 165.5 | 31.3 | 22.4 |
| Russell County | #110 of 133 | 215.9 | 157.0 | 55.0 | 3.9 |
| Madison County | #111 of 133 | 212.3 | 184.0 | 21.2 | 7.1 |
| Bedford County | #112 of 133 | 212.2 | 161.9 | 47.8 | 2.5 |
| Botetourt County | #113 of 133 | 208.0 | 158.2 | 46.9 | 2.9 |
| Washington County | #114 of 133 | 207.3 | 166.5 | 35.2 | 5.6 |
| Page County | #115 of 133 | 206.4 | 172.7 | 33.7 | 0.0 |
| Powhatan County | #116 of 133 | 205.6 | 165.1 | 40.5 | 0.0 |
| Bath County | #117 of 133 | 197.5 | 172.8 | 24.7 | 0.0 |
| Goochland County | #118 of 133 | 194.9 | 165.5 | 29.4 | 0.0 |
| Greene County | #119 of 133 | 183.1 | 126.8 | 46.9 | 9.4 |
| Bland County | #120 of 133 | 178.0 | 161.8 | 16.2 | 0.0 |
| Carroll County | #121 of 133 | 177.8 | 143.6 | 34.2 | 0.0 |
| Tazewell County | #122 of 133 | 176.4 | 150.8 | 25.6 | 0.0 |
| Rappahannock County | #123 of 133 | 175.4 | 161.9 | 13.5 | 0.0 |
| Lexington City | #124 of 133 | 172.7 | 146.1 | 26.6 | 0.0 |
| Highland County | #125 of 133 | 171.0 | 171.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Clarke County | #126 of 133 | 155.2 | 116.4 | 38.8 | 0.0 |
| Poquoson City | #127 of 133 | 142.5 | 142.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lee County | #128 of 133 | 138.0 | 119.6 | 13.8 | 4.6 |
| Dickenson County | #129 of 133 | 131.9 | 102.6 | 29.3 | 0.0 |
| Grayson County | #130 of 133 | 130.8 | 124.3 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
| Floyd County | #131 of 133 | 127.5 | 108.4 | 19.1 | 0.0 |
| Craig County | #132 of 133 | 103.2 | 103.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Buchanan County | #133 of 133 | 47.2 | 47.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
What the numbers mean — and what to do about them
Virginia's combined STD rate of 641.8 per 100,000 people puts it almost exactly at the national midpoint — 26th out of 50 states. In raw terms, that's roughly 55,900 new chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis diagnoses in a single year across a state of 8.7 million people. Middle-of-the-pack rankings can obscure what's actually happening on the ground: Virginia isn't a low-burden state, and its syphilis trajectory in particular has changed substantially over the past decade and a half.
Syphilis is the disease with the sharpest trend line in Virginia — up more than 200% since 2008, even with a slight dip in 2023. That matters for a practical reason: syphilis is often asymptomatic in its early stages, and people who don't know they're infected continue to transmit it. The same is true for chlamydia, which remains Virginia's most prevalent STD and is estimated to go undiagnosed in the majority of cases because it produces no obvious symptoms. Gonorrhea, now running above the national median, has followed a slow but consistent upward path since hitting its low in 2011. None of these diseases announce themselves reliably. Testing is how most people find out.
If you live in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, or Chesapeake, you're in a region that concentrates a significant share of the state's population — and its disease burden. Virginia's syphilis rate has tripled in fifteen years without most residents noticing. STDTest.com can show you where to get tested today.
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED
Anyone sexually active with new or multiple partners, given Virginia's gonorrhea rate above the national median and over 41,000 chlamydia cases in 2023. Men who have sex with men face elevated syphilis risk as the state's rate has tripled since 2008. Pregnant individuals should be tested early, as rising syphilis rates nationally have driven congenital syphilis cases higher.
HOW OFTEN
Once a year is a reasonable baseline for sexually active adults, given that Virginia's chlamydia and gonorrhea rates have been elevated and relatively stable in recent years. Every three to six months is appropriate for those with multiple partners or higher exposure — especially given that syphilis in Virginia has climbed steadily for fifteen years with no sustained reversal.
WHAT TO EXPECT
STD testing is typically quick and straightforward — usually a urine sample, blood draw, or swab depending on what's being tested. Many clinics in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake offer same-day or next-day appointments. Results for most tests come back within a few days, and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis — if needed — is generally a course of antibiotics.
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