Arizonans are bad at practicing safe sex, new report says

High STI rates and a low number of sexual health clinics contributed to Arizona's dismal score.

July 23, 2024

If you live in Arizona, we recommend using one of these next time you hop into bed with someone. Jennifer Goldberg

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Want to hook up in Arizona? Make sure you protect yourself, because your partner might not.

A new study conducted by sexual wellness platform Bedbible reveals the states with the safest sex practices, and we regret to inform you that Arizona is in the bottom 10.

The study looked at five different metrics to create an index ranking out of 100, where the higher the score, the better the safety. Metrics included rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis per 100,000 people; number of sexual health clinics per 100,000 residents; and Google searches for safety measures (including key phrases such as "contraception," "safe sex tips" and "condoms") per 100,000 people. The measures were each assessed and ranked to give the states a score out of 100.

Arizona came in ninth from the bottom with an index score of 30.1 out of 100. Here, there are above-average searches for safe sex at 646 searches per 100,000 people, but above-average rates of all three STIs analyzed and only 0.52 clinics per 100,000 people, according to the latest data.

The bottom 10 states for sexual health, starting from the worst in the U.S., are South Dakota, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arizona and Arkansas.

The five states with the best safe sex practices, starting from the best, are Vermont, Wyoming, Connecticut, Washington and Iowa.

If you're looking to take charge of your own sexual health and wellness, a good place to start is the Maricopa County Public Health STD Clinic, where people can receive condoms, get tested for a variety of STIs and learn about safe sex practices.

Jennifer Goldberg is the Senior Editor of Culture at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in February 2016. In her role, Jennifer writes and publishes profiles of both local and regional musicians, previews upcoming performances and provides guides on the best of Phoenix’s entertainment scene. She also oversees the Best of Phoenix. Jennifer previously worked for Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. During her career, Jennifer has received awards from the Arizona Press Club, the Arizona Newspaper Association and the American Jewish Press Association. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in English from Arizona State University.

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