The sharp rise has prompted the city to invest in a new and provocative marketing campaign encouraging New Yorkers to get tested for STIs (formerly known as sexually transmitted diseases or STDs).
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Stats released Thursday for 2015-2016 showed these increases:
- Syphilis: 27 percent (total of 1,939 cases in 2016)
- Gonorrhea: 18 percent for men (19,029 cases in 2016)
- Chlamydia: 6 percent (total of 66,748 cases in 2016)
The health department said 94-percent of the syphilis and 3/4 of all gonorrhea cases are among men, particularly men who have sex with other men. But women continue to have the highest rates of chlamydia.
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"The increase in rates of sexually transmitted infections is a disturbing national trend that has had a widespread impact on this city," Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said.
The city's new campaign is called "Bare It All" and will include emoji-based ads in bus shelters, subways and on social media. The message to New Yorkers is to talk openly with their doctors and get tested regularly - either at their doctor's office or at Sexual Health Clinics across the city.
Here's a look at a couple of the new posters:
Here are some location-based stats:
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- The neighborhoods with the highest rates of syphilis were all in Manhattan: Chelsea, Central Harlem and Washington Heights
- The neighborhoods with highest rates of chlamydia are Crotona and Mott Haven in the Bronx and Central Harlem in Manhattan
- The neighborhoods with the highest rates of gonorrhea are Chelsea and Central Harlem in Manhattan and Crown Heights in Brooklyn
Case rates of gonorrhea actually decreased by 4 percent among women from 2015 to 2016.
New York City has eight Sexual Health Clinics, which operate Monday through Friday with Saturday hours at the Riverside and Fort Greene locations.