As The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases the latest national STD rankings, Louisiana's presence on the list, though shockingly high, is better than it had been in previous years.

The state's case rates of primary and secondary syphilis, congenital syphilis and gonorrhea improved from 2017 to 2018, showing the Louisiana Department of Health's efforts towards STD prevention are making a positive impact. 

Louisiana was ranked #7 in the nation for primary and secondary syphilis case rates, declining from #3 in 2017; #3 in congenital syphilis, declining from #1 in 2017; and #5 in gonorrhea, declining from #3 in 2017. The state's ranking for chlamydia, the fourth STD in the survey, remained unchanged at #2.

Dr. Alexander Billioux, assistant secretary for the Office of Public Health said the CDC rankings show the Department of Health's STD prevention efforts are making progress in improving the health of the state's citizens.

"If you want to help prevent the spread of STD's, we recommend following these three simple steps: Talk. Test. Treat," Billioux said. "Talk with your physician or other primary care provider about your risk for STDs, get tested and then, if you test positive, get treated. It's that easy."

The entire CDC report can be found here.