Pregnancy & Birth Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Minnesota Student Survey References
Aitkin County, MN Anoka County, MN Becker County, MN Beltrami County, MN Benton County, MN Big Stone County, MN Blue Earth County, MN Brown County, MN Carlton County, MN Carver County, MN Cass County, MN Chippewa County, MN Chisago County, MN Clay County, MN Clearwater County, MN Cook County, MN Cottonwood County, MN Crow Wing County, MN Dakota County, MN Dodge County, MN Douglas County, MN Faribault County, MN Fillmore County, MN Freeborn County, MN Goodhue County, MN Grant County, MN Hennepin County, MN Houston County, MN Hubbard County, MN Isanti County, MN Itasca County, MN Jackson County, MN Kanabec County, MN Kandiyohi County, MN Kittson County, MN Koochiching County, MN Lac Qui Parle County, MN Lake County, MN Lake Of The Woods County, MN Le Sueur County, MN Lincoln County, MN Lyon County, MN Mahnomen County, MN Marshall County, MN Martin County, MN Mcleod County, MN Meeker County, MN Mille Lacs County, MN Morrison County, MN Mower County, MN Murray County, MN Nicollet County, MN Nobles County, MN Norman County, MN Olmsted County, MN Otter Tail County, MN Pennington County, MN Pine County, MN Pipestone County, MN Polk County, MN Pope County, MN Ramsey County, MN Red Lake County, MN Redwood County, MN Renville County, MN Rice County, MN Rock County, MN Roseau County, MN Saint Louis County, MN Scott County, MN Sherburne County, MN Sibley County, MN Stearns County, MN Steele County, MN Stevens County, MN Swift County, MN Todd County, MN Traverse County, MN Wabasha County, MN Wadena County, MN Waseca County, MN Washington County, MN Watonwan County, MN Wilkin County, MN Winona County, MN Wright County, MN Yellow Medicine County, MN

Adolescent Sexual Health Report
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Although they account for only 6.5% of the population in Minnesota, adolescents age 15-19 accounted for 24.4% of the chlamydia and 14.8% of the gonorrhea cases in Minnesota in 2019 (9,11).

Adolescents experience a disproportionately high rate of sexually transmitted infections. This is likely to due to a combination of biological, behavioral, and cultural factors, barriers to health services such as transportation, cost, concerns about confidentiality, and peer and media influences (12).

Chlamydia is at an all-time high among Minnesota youth, while the gonorrhea rate declined slightly. There were 8 new cases of HIV among 15-19 year olds in Minnesota in 2019. There are currently 45 adolescents (aged 15-19) living with HIV in Minnesota (9).

Racial/ Ethnic Disparities

STI rates are disproportionately high in communities of color in Minnesota (9). The rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are highest among Black and Hispanic youth. The gonorrhea rate is 28 times higher and the chlamydia rate is 9 times higher among Black youth compared to white youth, who have the lowest STI rates of all racial/ethnic groups.

*Racial categories are disaggregated as non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Black.
*The term ‘Black” is used rather than “African American” to be consistent with state and national racial categories and because data includes foreign-born and U.S. born populations.
*The Hispanic category represents Hispanic ethnicity, accounting for persons who identity as Hispanic of any race.

Geographic Disparities

*Note: Counties with a rate under 5 are suppressed to ensure privacy, the rate is not zero.

Chlamydia rate:

(per 100,000 aged 15-19)

Mahnomen: 2,989

Hennepin: 2,588

Ramsey:2,557

Nobles: 2,414

Blue Earth: 2,180

Freeborn: 1,937

Olmsted: 1,881

Benton: 1,859

Mower: 1,837

Cass: 1,741

Pregnancy and birth disproportionately impact greater Minnesota while STIs affect youth regardless of geography.

Gonorrhea rate:

(per 100,000 aged 15-19)

Ramsey: 695

Hennepin: 676

Beltrami: 375

Nobles: 335

Olmsted: 306

Itasca: 305

Blue Earth: 304

Carlton: 302

Mower: 300

Clay: 294

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