STD Rates in Salt Lake City: What the Latest Data Shows

Numbers about sexually transmitted infections can feel abstract. They are really a snapshot of how many people were tested, diagnosed and counted in a given year. This guide walks through the most recent figures published for Salt Lake County and Utah, explains how to read them, and points to local places where testing is free or low cost.

People often look for std rates by state or std rates by city to understand their own community. Utah's surveillance system reports by state and by local health district. For Salt Lake City, the closest published figures are for Salt Lake County, so that is what this page uses. Every number below is named with its year and source.

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Table of contents

1. How to read STD rates
2. Salt Lake County and Utah figures
3. What each number tells you
4. Year-on-year change and what drives it
5. Comparing std rates by state and by city
6. Who is advised to get tested
7. Free and low-cost testing in Salt Lake City
8. Utah rules that affect testing and care

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How to read STD rates

What a rate is

A rate is the number of reported cases divided by the population, usually shown per 100,000 people. It lets you compare places of different sizes. A county with more residents will have more cases, but not necessarily a higher rate.

What a rate is not

A reported rate counts diagnoses that were found and reported to public health. It does not count every infection. Many STIs cause no symptoms, so a higher rate can mean more infections, more testing, or both.

A rate also says nothing about any one person. It cannot tell a reader whether they have an infection. Only a test and a clinician can do that.

Cases, prevalence and new diagnoses

These three terms are easy to mix up.

• Reported cases are diagnoses counted in one year.
• New diagnoses are people first diagnosed with an infection, such as HIV, in one year.
• Prevalence is how many people are living with an infection at a point in time.

The HIV figure for Salt Lake County below is prevalence, not new diagnoses. It should not be compared directly with the other numbers.

A note on how recent the data is

The most recent county-level figures available from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) surveillance tool, Utah IBIS-PH, in the sources reviewed for this page are for 2022, with HIV figures from 2020 and 2021. Newer figures may have been published since. The IBIS-PH site is the place to check for updates.

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Salt Lake County and Utah figures

The table below lines up the county and state numbers, with the year and source for each.

Measure	Salt Lake County	Utah	Source
Chlamydia, 2022	479.7 per 100,000	328.7 per 100,000 (11,107 cases)	Utah IBIS-PH, Chlamydia Cases
Gonorrhea, 2022	166.4 per 100,000	91.2 per 100,000	Utah IBIS-PH, Gonorrhea Cases
Primary and secondary syphilis, 2022	13.7 per 100,000	7.0 per 100,000 (239 cases)	Utah IBIS-PH, Syphilis Cases
HIV, people living with HIV, 2020	158.8 per 100,000 (1,887 people)	Not compared here	Utah IBIS-PH, HIV Infections
HIV, new diagnoses, 2021	County figure not published in the sources reviewed	4.0 per 100,000 (135 new diagnoses)	Utah IBIS-PH, HIV Infections
Congenital syphilis, 2023	County figure not published in the sources reviewed	35.0 per 100,000 live births, ranked 14th	America's Health Rankings, citing CDC AtlasPlus

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What each number tells you

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported of the three bacterial infections here. In 2022, Utah IBIS-PH reported 11,107 cases statewide, a rate of 328.7 per 100,000. Salt Lake County's rate was 479.7 per 100,000, which is roughly 1.5 times the state rate.

Chlamydia often causes no symptoms. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) note that screening is how most infections are found. It is curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician.

Gonorrhea

Salt Lake County's 2022 gonorrhea rate was 166.4 per 100,000, compared with 91.2 for Utah, according to Utah IBIS-PH. That makes the county rate about 1.8 times the state rate.

Gonorrhea can infect the genitals, throat and rectum. A clinician decides which sites to test based on a person's sexual history. Gonorrhea is curable with treatment from a clinician. The CDC guidelines note that treatment recommendations are updated as antibiotic resistance changes, which is one reason treatment decisions belong with a clinician.

Syphilis

Utah IBIS-PH reports primary and secondary syphilis, the earlier stages, at 13.7 per 100,000 in Salt Lake County and 7.0 per 100,000 statewide (239 cases) in 2022. The county rate is nearly twice the state rate.

Syphilis is curable with treatment from a clinician, especially when found early. It is also tested with a blood test, which is why it is often added to a routine panel.

Congenital syphilis

Congenital syphilis happens when syphilis passes from a pregnant person to a baby. America's Health Rankings, citing CDC AtlasPlus, reports a 2023 rate in Utah of 35.0 new cases per 100,000 live births, ranking 14th among states. A county figure was not available in the sources reviewed.

This is the reason prenatal syphilis screening matters. Utah DHHS says Utah Code 26B-7-216 calls for syphilis screening of all pregnant patients within 10 days of their first exam.

HIV

Utah IBIS-PH reports 1,887 people living with HIV in Salt Lake County in 2020, a prevalence of 158.8 per 100,000. For new diagnoses, the available figure is statewide: 135 new diagnoses in 2021, or 4.0 per 100,000.

HIV is not curable, but it is treatable. The CDC says that people who take HIV treatment as prescribed and keep an undetectable viral load do not pass HIV to partners through sex. Testing is the first step toward that care.

Herpes, HPV and others

The Utah figures reviewed for this page do not include herpes, HPV or trichomoniasis. Those infections are common nationally, but a local rate cannot be quoted here. Herpes and HPV are not curable, but both are manageable, and the CDC guidelines describe ways to treat symptoms and lower the chance of passing them on. Trichomoniasis is curable with treatment from a clinician.

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Year-on-year change and what drives it

What the data can and cannot say about change

The sources reviewed give one year of county data for each bacterial STI, so this page does not state a year-on-year change for Salt Lake County. Guessing at a trend would not be fair to readers. The Utah IBIS-PH tool publishes multi-year charts for each infection, and those are the right place to see whether rates are rising or falling.

Why rates differ between places

Public health agencies, including the CDC, point to several things that shape reported rates. None of them is a judgment about the people who live somewhere.

• Testing volume. Places that test more people find more infections. A higher rate can partly mean better detection.
• Population makeup. A county with a large share of young adults will often report higher chlamydia and gonorrhea rates, because the CDC guidelines recommend regular screening in that age group.
• Urban concentration. Salt Lake County is the most populous county in Utah and has more clinics, so more cases are diagnosed and reported there.
• Access to care. Cost, transportation, clinic hours and worry about privacy all affect who gets tested and treated.
• Partner treatment. When a partner is not tested or treated, an infection can pass back and forth. This is why partner services matter.
• Symptoms. Many infections cause no symptoms, so they are found only through screening.

Prevention tools clinicians now discuss

The CDC updated its guidance in 2024 on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, often called doxy-PEP. It is a prescription option clinicians may discuss with some adults, including men who have sex with men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI recently. Whether it fits a person is a clinician's decision. The Salt Lake County Health Department lists doxy-PEP among the services at its STD clinic.

PrEP, a prescription medicine to lower the chance of getting HIV, is another option a clinician can talk through. Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and University of Utah Health both list PrEP services in the CDC GetTested directory.

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Comparing std rates by state and by city

Why a state number hides local detail

When people compare std rates by state, they see one figure for a very large area. Utah's chlamydia rate of 328.7 per 100,000 in 2022 blends dense urban areas with rural counties. Salt Lake County's rate of 479.7 shows what the same measure looks like in the most populated part of the state.

Why std rates by city are hard to find

Most health departments publish std rates by city only when a city is also a county or its own health district. In Utah, data is reported by local health district. That is why this page uses Salt Lake County for the city. A resident of Salt Lake City is counted in the county figure.

Cautions when comparing places

• Compare the same year and the same measure.
• Remember that testing practices differ from place to place.
• Do not compare prevalence with new diagnoses.
• Avoid reading a high rate as a statement about the character of a community. It is a count of diagnoses.

For national and state comparisons, the CDC publishes surveillance data through AtlasPlus and its annual STI surveillance reports.

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Who is advised to get tested

The following comes from the CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). It describes general recommendations. It is not a statement about any one reader, and a clinician can tailor advice.

• Chlamydia and gonorrhea: The CDC recommends yearly screening for sexually active women under 25 and for older women with risk factors such as a new partner or a partner with an STI. It also recommends at least yearly screening for sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, based on the sites of sexual contact.
• HIV: The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested at least once. The USPSTF recommends screening for ages 15 to 65. People with more risk may be advised to test more often.
• Syphilis: Screening is recommended in pregnancy, and the CDC advises more frequent screening for some groups, including men who have sex with men and people with HIV.
• Anyone with symptoms or a partner who has an STI: A clinician can advise on testing right away.

Window periods

A window period is the time between exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection. It differs by infection and by test type. The CDC publishes the window periods for each HIV test type. A clinician can say which test fits your situation and whether a repeat test makes sense.

Treatment, in general terms

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician. Herpes and HPV are manageable, and HIV is treatable. Only a clinician can prescribe treatment and decide what is right for a person.

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Free and low-cost testing in Salt Lake City

A full list of places, with more detail, is on the page about where to get tested in Salt Lake City. Here are the main options, with details as published by each source. Hours, fees and policies can change, so call before you go.

Salt Lake County Health Department STD Clinic

The clinic is at the Salt Lake Public Health Center, 610 South 200 East (enter from 200 East). The county lists the phone as 385-468-4242, and 385-468-4185 for the STD Prevention Program. The Utah 211 directory lists 385-468-4225 for the Salt Lake City Public Health Center and says walk-ins are permitted but calling ahead for an appointment is preferred.

• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The county says it opens at 1:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.
• Who can test: People 14 or older.
• Published fees: An office visit is $60 for Salt Lake County residents and $80 for others. There is no office visit fee for HIV-only testing. An HIV blood test is $50, syphilis is $40, and chlamydia and gonorrhea are $40 per site.
• Rapid HIV: The county says rapid HIV testing is free to high-risk individuals while grant funds last.
• Insurance: The county says the clinic cannot bill health insurance.
• Services listed: STD and HIV testing, PrEP, doxy-PEP and treatment.

Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, Salt Lake Health Center

Located at 654 S 900 E, phone (801) 322-5571. The CDC GetTested directory lists an appointment requirement, a sliding scale, and acceptance of insurance and Medicaid. It lists tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, plus PrEP navigation and HPV vaccine. Hours are not listed there, so confirm with the center.

Community Health Centers Inc.

This community health center network has two Salt Lake City locations in the CDC GetTested directory.

• Oquirrh View Community Health Center, 4745 S 3200 W, (801) 964-6214. Appointment required.
• Ellis R. Shipp Clinic, 4535 S 5600 W, (801) 676-4405. The listing does not state a walk-in policy, so ask when you call.

Both list a sliding scale and acceptance of insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. Both list HIV, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing. The directory says to contact the organization about eligibility and hours.

University of Utah Health, Redwood Health Center

At 1525 W 2100 S, phone (801) 213-9900. The CDC GetTested listing shows HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing, PrEP navigation and assistance for people without insurance. Check with the clinic for hours and costs.

University of Utah Student Health Center

At 555 Foothill Dr, Level 1, phone 801-581-6431. The center offers HIV and STI testing by appointment, with or without symptoms, and a visit fee and lab charges apply. Its Campus Wellness mobile clinics offer free HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing for people without symptoms. The page does not say whether non-students can use the center, so ask before booking.

Utah Naloxone (Andy's Wellness Center)

At 525 East 100 South, Suite 4400, phone (385) 495-9050. A directory listing from NASEN shows HIV and hepatitis C testing, STI testing and treatment, and syringe services. Listed hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The listing does not state costs or a walk-in policy, so check with the program.

Finding more options

The CDC's GetTested directory lets you look up testing sites by ZIP code. It is a good way to confirm current details.

What to expect at a visit

A clinician or staff member will ask about your sexual history and any symptoms. Depending on your answers, testing may involve a urine sample, a swab of one or more sites, or a blood draw. Asking questions is welcome, including about costs before you are seen.

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Utah rules that affect testing and care

Testing for minors

The Utah DHHS IBIS site cites Utah Code 26B-7-214 and says people 14 and older can consent to STI care without a parent's consent. Limits beyond that were not found in the sources reviewed, so ask the clinic.

Treatment for partners

Expedited partner therapy lets a clinician provide treatment for a patient's partner without a separate visit in some cases. The CDC's page on the legal status of EPT in Utah (updated August 16, 2024) cites Utah Code 58-1-501.3 and 58-17b-620. Utah DHHS says it covers chlamydia and gonorrhea in Utah.

Pregnancy

Utah DHHS says Utah Code 26B-7-216 calls for syphilis screening of all pregnant patients within 10 days of their first exam. The sources reviewed did not list a rule for later in pregnancy, so ask your prenatal clinician.

HIV and the law

The HIV Justice Network, a secondary source reviewed in October 2022, says Utah has no law that explicitly criminalizes HIV exposure, non-disclosure or transmission in general. It notes that Utah Code 76-10-1309 raises certain sex-work-related offenses to a felony when a person knows their HIV status. It also cites a general communicable disease provision. Because these are summaries, a legal professional is the right person to ask about a specific situation.

Reporting

Some infections are reported to public health by clinicians and labs. The sources reviewed did not give details of Utah's reporting rules, so ask the clinic or the Salt Lake County Health Department how your results are handled.

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Bringing it together

The latest figures show that Salt Lake County reports higher rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and primary and secondary syphilis than Utah overall. That reflects a mix of population, testing and access. It is a reason to know the options, not a reason for worry or blame.

Testing is a routine part of health care, and most bacterial STIs are curable. HIV is treatable. If you are unsure where to start, the Salt Lake County Health Department and the clinics above can explain what testing makes sense for you.

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Sources

• Utah IBIS-PH: Chlamydia Cases by Local Health District, 2022
• Utah IBIS-PH: Gonorrhea Cases by Local Health District, 2022
• Utah IBIS-PH: Primary and Secondary Syphilis Cases, 2022
• Utah IBIS-PH: HIV Infections
• Utah DHHS IBIS: Chlamydia cases, available services (minor consent)
• America's Health Rankings: Congenital syphilis in Utah (citing CDC AtlasPlus, 2023)
• Utah DHHS: Congenital syphilis
• Utah DHHS: Expedited partner therapy
• CDC: Legal Status of EPT in Utah
• CDC: Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021
• Salt Lake County Health Department: STD and HIV testing
• Salt Lake County Health Department: Infectious Disease Clinic contact
• CDC GetTested directory
• HIV Justice Network: Utah