The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there are about 12 million new cases of syphilis around the world in 1999. A large number of this comes from the African region, as well as South Asia and Southeast Asia. In the United States in 2005, there were about 33,200 cases of syphilis in all stages.This meant that an average of 11 out of 100,000 Americans is likely to be infected.

Syphilis is five times more likely to occur in African Americans than in Caucasians, say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the US states, Georgia and Louisiana have the most number of reported cases of syphilis, with about 6 to 7 cases out of 100,000 citizens.

Gonorrhea is also caused by a bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and is commonly called the clap. The symptoms of this infection include penile and vaginal discharge similar to pus, abdominal pains, painful urination, and bleeding of the uterus. Women who are diagnosed with gonorrhea may be at risk for reproductive system damage and infertility. As of 1999, there were about 62 million persons in the world infected with gonorrhea. In the United States, 2005 estimates predict that about 339,000 Americans have gonorrhea, with the highest incidence in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Chlamydia is an infection that may occur along with gonorrhea, and separate drugs are required to treat each condition. The infection is caused by a bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, and is common in the United States. Symptoms and associated conditions of the infection are watery discharge from the penis, abdominal pains, and fallopian tube scarring in women. Around the world, there are about 1 billion victims of chlamydia. In the US, 2005 estimates state that over 970,000 Americans have it, with the highest incidence in Mississippi and Alaska.