This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

STD rates are counts of reported infections for every 100,000 people who live in an area. They help health departments see where infections are spreading and where testing is needed. They do not tell any one person about their own health.

This guide covers the newest figures for Orlando's home county, Orange County, and compares them with Florida as a whole. It explains how to read those numbers, what shapes them, and where to get tested for free or at low cost.

Key takeaways

In 2025, the Florida Department of Health's FLHealthCHARTS reports 516.7 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people in Orange County, compared with 410.8 for Florida.
For gonorrhea, FLHealthCHARTS reports 193.7 per 100,000 in Orange County and 156.5 statewide for 2025.
For primary and secondary (infectious) syphilis, the 2025 county rate is 9.3 per 100,000, below the state rate of 12.4.
New HIV diagnoses in 2025 were 25.1 per 100,000 in Orange County and 15.0 in Florida, according to FLHealthCHARTS.
No Orlando city-only rates were found. County figures are the closest published match.
Testing is available in Orlando at no cost or on a sliding scale, and Florida law lets minors get STD care without a parent's consent.

In this guide

How to read STD rates
The latest Orange County numbers
Florida compared: STD rates by state and by city
Year-on-year change and what drives rates
What the rates mean for your own care
Free and low-cost testing in Orlando
Common questions
Sources

How to read STD rates

Public health agencies count the infections that clinicians and laboratories report. Then they divide by the local population and scale the result to 100,000 people. That makes a large county and a small one comparable.

Cases and rates are different numbers

A case count is the raw number of reports. A rate adjusts for population size. Orange County had 7,937 reported chlamydia cases in 2025. That is a large number, but the rate of 516.7 per 100,000 is the figure that lets you compare it with Florida's rate.

Reported cases are not every infection

The CDC explains that many chlamydia and gonorrhea infections cause no symptoms, so they are found only when someone is tested. Florida law also shapes the data. Under Florida Statutes section 381.0031, licensed practitioners, hospitals and certified laboratories must report diseases of public health significance to the Department of Health. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64D-3.029 lists chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV infection among the reportable conditions.

The result is that a rate reflects two things at once: how much infection is circulating, and how much testing is being done. A higher rate can mean more infection, more testing, or both.

Why county data stands in for the city

Orlando is the county seat of Orange County. The state publishes its STD tables by county, and no Orlando city-only rates were found. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County also handles STD surveillance for county residents. So when this guide says "Orlando area," the figures are for Orange County.

What "std rates by city" can and cannot tell you

City comparisons are tempting, but they come with limits. Cities draw patients from surrounding areas, clinics report by where a person lives, and small populations swing from year to year. County rates, measured the same way across Florida, are the more reliable basis for comparison.

The latest Orange County numbers

All figures below are from FLHealthCHARTS, the Florida Department of Health's public data tool, for the year 2025. The county population used as the denominator was 1,536,045.

Infection (2025)	Orange County cases	Orange County rate per 100,000	Florida rate per 100,000
Chlamydia	7,937	516.7	410.8
Gonorrhea	2,975	193.7	156.5
Primary and secondary syphilis	143	9.3	12.4
New HIV diagnoses	385	25.1	15.0

Source: FLHealthCHARTS, Florida Department of Health, 2025 data for Orange County and Florida.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported of the four. FLHealthCHARTS lists 7,937 cases in Orange County in 2025, a rate of 516.7 per 100,000. The state rate was 410.8, with 96,044 cases statewide. The county rate is about a quarter higher than the state rate.

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, and a clinician can treat it with prescribed medicine. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend that a clinician choose the treatment.

Gonorrhea

FLHealthCHARTS reports 2,975 gonorrhea cases in Orange County in 2025, a rate of 193.7 per 100,000. Florida's rate was 156.5, with 36,596 cases. As with chlamydia, the county figure runs about a quarter above the state figure.

Gonorrhea is also bacterial and curable with treatment from a clinician. The CDC notes that it can affect the genitals, throat and rectum, and a clinician can advise which sites to test based on the kind of sex a person has.

Syphilis

FLHealthCHARTS reports 143 primary and secondary syphilis cases in Orange County in 2025, a rate of 9.3 per 100,000. Florida's rate was 12.4, with 2,903 cases. Orange County sits below the state rate for this measure. The page lists it as the infectious syphilis indicator, so check the site for the exact stage definitions.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that a clinician can treat. The CDC says it can have few or no noticeable signs at some stages, which is why blood testing matters. Congenital syphilis rates for Orange County were not found in the sources used here.

HIV

FLHealthCHARTS reports 385 new HIV diagnoses in Orange County in 2025, a rate of 25.1 per 100,000. Florida's rate was 15.0, with 3,512 new diagnoses. The county rate is about two thirds higher than the state rate.

HIV is not curable, but it is treatable. The CDC says people who take HIV medicine as prescribed and reach an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV sexually. A clinician prescribes that medicine.

Florida compared: STD rates by state and by city

The comparison most readers want is local against the state. Here is how the county measures up against Florida overall, using the 2025 FLHealthCHARTS figures above.

Chlamydia: 516.7 in the county versus 410.8 in Florida. The county is higher.
Gonorrhea: 193.7 versus 156.5. The county is higher.
Primary and secondary syphilis: 9.3 versus 12.4. The county is lower.
New HIV diagnoses: 25.1 versus 15.0. The county is higher.

FLHealthCHARTS marks a county rate with an asterisk when it differs significantly from the state rate. Open the tool to see which of these comparisons carry that flag.

What about other states?

Many readers search for std rates by state to see how Florida stacks up nationally. The CDC publishes national and state tables in its annual STI Surveillance Report. Those tables use the same per-100,000 approach, so Florida's rates can be compared directly with other states there. This guide does not reproduce national figures, because the most reliable place to read them is the CDC report itself.

Comparing across cities responsibly

If you want std rates by city for places outside Florida, check that the source uses the same year, the same infection definition and the same denominator. A county figure compared with a city figure is not a fair comparison. Different years are not either. The Orange County figures here are all 2025 and all from the same state data system, so they line up cleanly with each other and with the statewide numbers.

Year-on-year change and what drives rates

Looking at change over time

Year-on-year change is one of the most useful ways to read surveillance data. A single year can look high or low by chance, so trends over several years say more. FLHealthCHARTS lets you pull earlier years for each infection and county. The sources used for this guide give the 2025 values, so this guide does not state a percentage change from 2024. To see the direction for each infection, open the tool and compare the years side by side.

Testing volume changes the count

When more people get screened, more asymptomatic infections are found and reported. A rise in cases can therefore reflect expanded testing rather than only more spread. The reverse also holds, since fewer tests can make a rate look lower than the true level.

Infections that go unnoticed

The CDC states that chlamydia and gonorrhea often cause no symptoms. An infection that is never tested for is never counted. That gap is one reason the CDC recommends routine screening for some groups, described in the next section.

Access to care

Whether a person can reach a clinic, afford a visit, and get results shapes both testing and treatment. Walk-in hours, sliding-scale fees and free programs lower those barriers. They are a main public health tool for keeping rates in check.

Partner care

Treating a person but not their partners can lead to reinfection. Florida Statutes section 384.27 allows expedited partner therapy under certain conditions, according to the CDC's page on the legal status of EPT in Florida. The conditions include a lab-confirmed or suspected clinical diagnosis, a partner who had sexual activity with the patient, and a partner who is unable or unlikely to seek care in a timely manner. A clinician decides whether it applies.

Prevention tools

Condoms, vaccination, PrEP and, in some cases, doxy-PEP all play a role. In 2024 the CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex (doxy-PEP) to lower the chance of certain bacterial STIs for specific groups, such as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and transgender women, who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. A clinician decides whether it is right for a person and prescribes it.

Pregnancy screening

Florida has its own rules here. Under Florida Administrative Code Rule 64D-3.042, practitioners providing prenatal care must test for sexually transmissible diseases at the first exam for the pregnancy and again at 28 to 32 weeks. Florida Statutes section 384.31 allows a pregnant woman to refuse testing by signed written objection.

What the rates mean for your own care

Rates describe a population. They cannot say whether you have an infection, and a low local rate does not mean you can skip testing. Only a test, read by a clinician, can tell you about your own status.

Who the CDC and USPSTF say to screen

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the US Preventive Services Task Force set out routine screening.

The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea 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.
The CDC recommends at least yearly screening for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV for sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Some may benefit from more frequent screening.
The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once. The USPSTF recommends HIV screening for adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65.
Pregnant people should be screened as described above.

A clinician can tailor this to your situation, including whether throat or rectal testing makes sense.

Window periods

A window period is the time after an exposure when a test may not yet detect an infection. For HIV, the CDC says a nucleic acid test can usually detect it 10 to 33 days after exposure, an antigen/antibody lab test on a blood draw 18 to 45 days, and tests using a finger prick 18 to 90 days. For other infections, ask the testing clinic what timing makes sense for your situation.

Treatment, in general terms

Bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and the parasitic infection trichomoniasis, are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are not curable but are treatable or manageable. Only a clinician can prescribe the right medicine after a test.

Privacy for young people

Florida Statutes section 384.30(1) says a parent's or guardian's consent is not required for a minor to be examined or treated for a sexually transmissible disease. The statute does not set a minimum age. Section 384.30(2) says the fact of a minor's consultation, exam and treatment is confidential and may not be shared, for example by sending a bill to a parent.

Free and low-cost testing in Orlando

Several Orlando-area sites offer testing for free or on a sliding scale. The full list, with details, is in our guide to STD testing in Orlando: where to get tested and what it costs. The highlights are below. Confirm hours and services by phone before you go, because they can change.

Florida Department of Health in Orange County

The county STD clinic is at the Central Health Center, Building 1, 832 West Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32805. The phone number is 407-858-1400. The county's STD page says the clinic offers low- or no-cost testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. It describes the clinic as walk-in and first come, first served. A picture ID is required.

The county page says fees range from $20 and up, and payment can be by cash, card, Medicaid or Medicare. It lists a sliding scale with an eligibility screening. The page says results take about one week and are given in person or by coded text with signed consent. The county STD page lists Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed 12 to 1 p.m. Other county pages show different hours, so call 407-858-1400 first.

Lila Mitchell Health Center

This Department of Health site is at 5151 Raleigh St, Ste B, Orlando, FL 32811, phone (407) 723-5004. The CDC GetTested listing shows HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing on a sliding scale and says an appointment is required. Hours are not listed there, so call to ask.

Miracle of Love

Miracle of Love's executive office is at 1301 W Colonial Dr, Ste 201, Orlando, FL 32804, phone (407) 843-1760. Its locations page lists HIV and STI screenings Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The CDC GetTested listing shows free HIV and STI tests and says an appointment is required.

Miracle of Love's Test and Treat page says the organization does not perform swabs for gonorrhea or chlamydia and points that testing to the Department of Health. Its Stafford House site at 711 Seminole Ave, phone (407) 532-0070, also lists HIV and STI screenings, but the sources do not state a price or walk-in policy.

The Center Orlando

The Center's testing center is at 942 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803. The center's testing page says all sexual health testing is walk-in only. It lists HIV and hepatitis C testing at $0, syphilis at $15, chlamydia and gonorrhea at $50, and a bundle of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at $55. HIV and hepatitis C testing is done by The Center, and STI testing is done by NPS Healthcare. The center's website lists weekday hours that vary by day, and Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the testing page for the current schedule.

Orange Blossom Family Health

This health center is at 232 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32805, phone 407-428-5751. Its website says fees follow a sliding scale based on household income, and no patient is turned away because of inability to pay. The site lists HIV testing as free. The CDC GetTested listing shows rapid HIV, hepatitis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis tests and says an appointment is required. The clinic's own site does not mention STD testing, so confirm by phone.

AHF Healthcare Center and Hope & Help

An AIDS Healthcare Foundation release from September 2025 says its new Orlando site at 707 E. Colonial Drive offers free STD/STI prevention and treatment services and access to PrEP. It lists Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A phone number was not found, and the release does not state a walk-in policy.

Hope and Help Center of Central Florida serves the Orlando area from Winter Park, at 4122 Metric Dr, #800, Winter Park, FL 32792, phone (407) 645-2577. Winter Park is outside Orlando city limits but inside Orange County. Its testing page says testing is free and no appointment is necessary, with testing Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It accepts most major insurances and can arrange income-based self-pay options. The page has some copy errors in test descriptions, so confirm which tests are offered by phone.

Planned Parenthood and the CDC locator

The CDC's National Prevention Information Network lists a Planned Parenthood East Orlando Health Center at 11500 University Blvd, Ste B, Orlando, FL 32817, phone 407-246-1788, with an appointment required. That listing is the only source found, so verify current hours and services directly.

To search for more sites by ZIP code, use the CDC's locator at gettested.cdc.gov.

Free HIV tests at home and PrEP or PEP

The Department of Health in Orange County's Area 7 HIV/AIDS Program page offers a free at-home HIV test kit order through knowyourhivstatus.com. The page does not state eligibility details, so check it before ordering. The same program links to a Florida DOH PrEP and PEP locator. Miracle of Love's Test and Treat page says PEP must start within 72 hours of exposure and PrEP is by prescription only. Hope and Help lists access to PrEP and nPEP.

Tips for your visit

Bring a photo ID to the county clinic.
Arrive early at walk-in sites, since spots may be limited.
Ask how and when you will get results.
Tell the clinician about the kinds of sex you have so they can pick the right tests.

Common questions

Are the rates for Orlando or for Orange County?

They are for Orange County, which includes Orlando. No city-only rates were found in the sources used.

Does a higher rate mean it is riskier to live in Orlando?

Not by itself. Rates mix infection levels with testing levels, and they describe a whole county. Your own risk depends on your situation, which a clinician can talk through with you.

How often do the numbers update?

FLHealthCHARTS publishes updated tables as the state finalizes each year's reports. Check the tool for the most recent year available.

Do I need to see a doctor first to get tested?

Not at the walk-in sites described above. Policies vary, so check with each clinic.

What if a test finds an infection?

A clinician can explain what the result means and what care is available. Bacterial STIs can be cured with treatment from a clinician. HIV, herpes and HPV are manageable with care.

Are results reported to the state?

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV are reportable conditions in Florida, so clinicians and labs report them to the health department. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County handles STD surveillance for county residents. Ask the clinic how your information is handled.

STD Rates in Orlando: What the Latest Data Shows