Not only did Baltimore rank number one in gonorrhea & syphillis in the
nation but Washington ranked number seven! I'm so proud!
Excerpt from the Baltimore Sun today:
Syphilis epidemic beginning to wane
Baltimore and state still have highest rates in the nation
By Jonathan Bor
And Diana K. Sugg Sun Staff
...In 1997, Baltimore counted 667 cases, a rate
of 99 cases per 100,000 population. This was
more than double Memphis' rate, the second
highest at 39.5 cases per 100,000. The cities
with the next highest rates were, in order,
Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta; New Orleans;
Richmond, Va.; and Washington.
...Driven by Baltimore's problem, Maryland holds
the grim distinction as the state with the highest
syphilis rate. Last year, 887 people were
diagnosed across the state -- a rate of 17.6
per 100,000, more than five times the national
average. Prince George's, Wicomico,
Somerset and Baltimore counties far exceeded
the national average, but their rates were much
lower than Baltimore's.