Estimates of total cases in the US indicate that there are about 700,000 cases per year. This number is significantly lower than the actual caseload because many physicians fail to report the infection. Gonorrhea has also been encountered in sexually abused children. There are also a significant number of sexually active young females who are asymptomatic and have gonorrhea.
Within the United States carriage rates are highly dependent on the geographical area, urban versus rural location, age, racial and ethnic group, and sexual preferences. The incidence of gonorrhea is highest in the South and Eastern USA, whereas the lowest rates are in the Midwest and Northeastern USA. Data from the CDC reveal that the rates of infection vary from about 250 per 100,000 in Mississippi to 7.5 per 100,000 in Idaho.
The CDC has started a campaign to decrease the incidence to 19 cases per 100,000 by the year 2010. The only states currently exceeding this number are North Dakota, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana, and Idaho.
Rates of gonorrhea are difficult to obtain from Asia, South America, and Africa since data are not complete/recorded and many patients do not have access to health care. In most of Europe, the disease rates are similar to North America.
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