Chlamydia Rampant In Brooklyn, Health Report Finds

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- Kings County has got Chlamydia.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are on the rise in Brooklyn, a borough with the third highest rate of Chlamydia cases in the state, a new study found.

The discouraging uptick in STDs was found by County Health Rankings which publishes an annual report looking at the state of health in counties across the country.

Data shows that 19,9000 Brooklyn residents — or about 755 out of 100,000 — reported a Chlamydia infection in 2016.

That 754.47 Chlamydia rate is well above the state average of 552.8 and was beaten only by Manhattan, with a 925.3 rate, and The Bronx, with a 1,171 rate.

Researchers analyzed Chlamydia, the most common bacterial STD, because it's a sign that people are having unsafe sex, the report noted. Untreated, Chlamydia can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, and chronic pelvic pain.

The report also found people living in The Bronx have been found to be the unhealthiest in the whole of New York State while, just across the Harlem River, Manhattan has some of the area's fittest residents.

This year, the program looked closely at the effect housing costs have on a person's health. The researchers found that 11 percent of households nationwide spend more than half their income on housing. That means people often don't have the money for high-quality food or access to health care.

"We know there's a severe housing cost burden that is a national issue," Justin Rivas, a network strategist with County Health Rankings, told Patch.

"When families spend more than 50 percent of their income on their housing, whether it's rent or mortgage, it leaves less money and opportunities to pursue health."

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.