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A Quantitative Evaluation of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia (STD) in Washington DC (2000–2013)

*Suparna Das, HAHSTA, DC DOH 

Keywords: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Spatial analysis, Ripley's K, Hotspots, Washington DC, Prevention policies

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to have a major impact on the health of DC's residents, particularly for adolescents and MSM. From 2009 to 2013, DC reported a 4% increase for number of cases of gonorrhea and 1% for chlamydia. As part of the current study, a statistical analysis was conducted using STD surveillance data HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB administration within the District of Columbia Department of Health. Spatial analysis was used to identify significant clustering of STD incidences in DC. Hotspot analysis was employed to identify the location of hotspots in south and southeast DC. Two pooled analysis with multilevel regression was used to understand the factors associated with the clustered prevalence of STD. The fixed effects for this model were socioeconomic determinants, while the random effects were census tracts nested with neighborhoods. This study is a major step toward identifying target areas for HIV/AIDS prevention and care efforts. Precise monitoring of incidence and prevalence of STDs among the population, particularly among young people, is an important step to optimize disease control and prevention.