Map Shows Sexually Transmitted Diseases in South Florida

Without ever really knowing it, you might be sitting in the middle of an epidemic zone. That's the sense you get studying a newly released map that lays out the rates and numbers of sexually transmitted diseases across the country. The following map, which is currently making the rounds online, was put together by rentapplication.com, which did the public service of crunching the numbers from the CDC from 2013. The results might surprise you. 

The data is color-coded on the map — the better to swallow easily. The redder the county, the worse the number of sexually transmitted diseases, meaning you best be using some kind of protection or caution during your bedroom escapades. When you eyeball the map, south to north, you'll see that in South Florida, Miami-Dade and Broward are both the same shade of slapped-skin red; Palm Beach County is a lighter shade of peach. The actual statistics are a little different, however. 

According to the stats compiled by RentApplication, Palm Beach County, with a population of 1,356,549, has tallied 5,624 new reported STDs in 2013. That breaks down to 4,486 cases of chlamydia, 1,054 cases of gonorrhea, and 84 cases of syphilis. In total, that stacks up to about 414 cases per 100,000 people. 

Miami-Dade is in bright red. With a population of 2,591,035, the county recorded 10,287 cases of chlamydia, 2,391 cases of gonorrhea, and 413 instances of syphilis, for a total of 13,091 STDs in 2013. That breaks down to a rate of 505 cases per 100,000 people. 

Broward, however, takes the cake — but not in terms of numbers alone. With a population at 1,815,137, the county saw 8,048 cases of chlamydia, 2,356 cases of gonorrhea, and 265 cases of syphilis, which stacked together gives you 10,669 cases of STDs on record for the year. 

The interesting thing, however, is the rate. For every 100,000 people, you've got 587 cases, which is much higher than either the county's neighbors to the north or south, even though Miami-Dade laps Broward in terms of population.