As Louisiana reports some of the nation’s highest STI rates, colleges play a key role in promoting sexual health through accessible testing and education.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Louisiana remains No. 1 for chlamydia and No. 2 for gonorrhea based on the most recent national ranking period from 2023. Regional numbers from 2025 show a trend of continued concentration in specific parishes and ZIP codes.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2025, Louisiana reported 739 cases of early syphilis statewide.
This includes 379 cases of primary or secondary syphilis, and during the same period, there were 36 cases of congenital syphilis.
Local parishes near Bayou Region campuses and communities are not exempt.
Terrebonne Parish remains among the highest regional case clusters, with over 2,000 reported chlamydia cases and more than 1,000 gonorrhea cases recorded in the most recent annual totals.
Lafourche Parish also continues to report large case volumes, with more than 1,100 chlamydia cases and more than 500 gonorrhea cases.
These numbers reflect the daily reality inside health clinics throughout South Louisiana.
A travel nurse from Thibodaux, Alice Wilson, said most of the infections she sees are not due to carelessness, but because people simply don’t know.
“Most people don’t think anything is wrong,” Wilson said. “Chlamydia, especially in women, can show no symptoms at all. They feel fine, so they think they’re fine. By the time they show symptoms, it’s already spreading to their partners.”
Wilson explained that many believe a urine test clears all possible infection sites, but this is commonly false.
“They come in, do a urine test, and walk out believing they’re safe,” she said. “But chlamydia and gonorrhea can be in the throat or the rectum. If we don’t swab those sites, the infection will continue to spread from person to person. It isn’t always about being irresponsible; it’s about education.”
STI challenges in the River Parishes follow a similar pattern. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, St. Charles Parish reported more than 860 cases of chlamydia, while St. John the Baptist Parish recorded more than 900. Assumption Parish, though smaller in population, saw more than 300 cases.
The New Orleans Health Department reported that in ZIP code 70129, located in New Orleans East, gonorrhea cases increased 71% in 2024, underscoring the uneven spread of infections.
For young adults, especially college students, accessibility matters. At Nicholls State University, the Health Services Department offers STI testing, wellness checks, and contraception services.
Staff say students often underestimate how common these infections are and how quickly they spread through college-age populations.
Nicholls Health Services offers walk-ins, referral-based STI testing, and health education programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
The state has also expanded prenatal testing requirements. Louisiana mandates syphilis and HIV tests during pregnancy unless the patient opts out, a step aimed at lowering congenital syphilis rates, which have more than doubled the national average in recent years.
Wilson has watched the trend rise for years and said the solution begins with simple honesty.
“People think these infections say something about who they are; they don’t. They just mean you’re human. Get tested. Know your status. Protect yourself and the people you care about,” she said.
