| Course | HLTH 6362 Sexual Health and Well-Being |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 3 |
| Paper type | Population profile |
| Length | About 760 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | MS in Health Education and Promotion |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HLTH 6362 Week 3
Population Profile: Syphilis Among South Dakota Women of Reproductive Age and Their Newborns, With Every Figure Tied to Its System, Year, Geography and Denominator
Student Name
Walden University
HLTH 6362: Sexual Health and Well-Being
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Population Profile: Syphilis Among South Dakota Women of Reproductive Age and Their Newborns, With Every Figure Tied to Its System, Year, Geography and Denominator
The Population and the Systems
The population is females aged 15 to 44 living in South Dakota and the infants born to them. Three data systems describe it. Census Bureau five-year survey estimates for 2020 to 2024 supply the population and its composition (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025). CDC's national surveillance report for 2023, published in 2024, supplies final case counts and rates for syphilis among women aged 15 to 44 and for congenital syphilis, assigned by the birth parent's state of residence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). The South Dakota Department of Health's summary of 2024 data, marked provisional as of June 3, 2025, supplies the most recent counts and the risk factors reported for cases (South Dakota Department of Health, 2025). The profile reports what these systems report and keeps their years apart.
Population
Table 1
Population Measures, South Dakota and United States, ACS 2020-2024
| Measure | South Dakota | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 907,428 | 334,922,500 | |
| Females aged 15 to 44 | 167,665 | 65,985,204 | |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, % of population | 7.5 | 0.9 | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau tables B01001 and B02001. Females aged 15 to 44 summed from age groups.
Final Surveillance Figures, 2023
Two denominators appear in this table and must not be confused. The rate for women uses population as its base; the congenital rate uses live births. Dividing South Dakota's 54 congenital cases by its rate of 482.1 per 100,000 implies about 11,200 live births in 2023, a derived figure used here only to show the scale of the denominator.
Table 2
Syphilis Among Women Aged 15 to 44 and Congenital Syphilis, 2023
| Measure | South Dakota | Midwest region | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syphilis, all stages, women 15 to 44: cases | 1,046 | 8,841 | 54,932 | |
| Rate per 100,000 women 15 to 44 | 613.0 | 66.5 | 83.3 | |
| Congenital syphilis: cases | 54 | 524 | 3,882 | |
| Rate per 100,000 live births | 482.1 | 70.1 | 105.8 | |
Source: CDC, Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2023. Congenital cases assigned by birth parent's state of residence. South Dakota ranked first among states on the congenital rate.
Provisional State Figures, 2024
The 2024 figures are provisional and use the state's own categories, which include all ages and both sexes for the early and late counts. They cannot be set beside the 2023 rates for women in Table 2.
Table 3
Syphilis in South Dakota, 2024, Provisional as of June 3, 2025
| Category | Cases | Change from 2023 | Change from 5-year median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early syphilis | 792 | 43% reduction | 1% increase | |
| Unknown duration or late syphilis | 578 | 14% reduction | 394% increase | |
| Congenital (state count takes in 4 stillbirths and 1 post-birth death) | 40 | 26% reduction | 150% increase | |
| All stages | 1,410 | 33% reduction | 53% increase | |
Source: South Dakota Department of Health. All-stage total equals the sum of the three categories.
Reading the Two Years Together
The 2023 and 2024 figures answer different questions and must be read that way. The 2023 national report gives rates with population and birth denominators, which allow South Dakota to be compared with the Midwest and the nation. The 2024 state summary gives counts and percentage changes without rates, which allow the state to be compared with its own recent past. A reader can say that South Dakota's congenital rate was the highest in the country in 2023 and that its provisional congenital count fell from 2023 to 2024 while staying well above its five-year median. A reader cannot compute a 2024 rate from these sources, because no 2024 birth count is given, and cannot treat the 2024 decline as final until the state releases closed data.
What the Systems Report About Cases
The state summary lists risk factors recorded across all syphilis stages in 2024: 81% of cases were among American Indian people, 80% reported heterosexual exposure, 54% were aged 25 to 39 and 35% had a history of incarceration (South Dakota Department of Health, 2025). These are characteristics recorded in case reports, not rates. They describe who appears in the case count, not the risk faced by any group, because no population denominator is attached.
What the Profile Does Not Report
The profile reports no county figures, because the state's maps were not available as data, and no causes. It also does not interpret the 2024 decline: a one-year reduction in provisional counts may reflect fewer infections, changes in testing or reporting lag, and the summary itself notes that counts remain well above the five-year median.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Sexually transmitted infections surveillance, 2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/255132
South Dakota Department of Health. (2025). Syphilis in South Dakota: 2024 data and health care guidance.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024 [Data set]. https://data.census.gov/
The Walden HLTH 6362 Week 3 instructions
The third week asks for a population profile built from surveillance and census data. Each figure must carry the system that produced it, the year it covers, its geography and its denominator, and the profile reports only what those systems report. Students usually present tables with notes, keeping different data years and different statuses, such as final and provisional, in separate tables. Denominators deserve special care, since rates for people and rates for births use different bases. Characteristics recorded in case reports should be described as counts or shares of cases, not as risks for groups, unless a population denominator is attached. The profile should end by stating what it does not report, including causes. Sources are federal and state data systems, cited in APA format.
How the HLTH 6362 Week 3 example is put together
The sample opens by naming the ACS, CDC's 2023 surveillance report and the state's provisional 2024 summary, with their years and status. Table 1 compares South Dakota and the nation on population, women aged 15 to 44 and American Indian share. Table 2 sets 2023 rates for women and for congenital cases beside Midwest and national figures, with a note on the two denominators and a derived birth count. Table 3 reports the state's 2024 provisional counts and changes, noting that the three categories sum to the total. A section explains how the two years can and cannot be read together. Another treats recorded case characteristics as counts without denominators. A closing section lists what the profile leaves out.
Reading the HLTH 6362 Week 3 rubric
Population profiles are graded on discipline with data conditions. Faculty check that every figure states its system, year, geography and denominator, and they deduct when final and provisional figures, or different years, are mixed in one comparison. Correct handling of denominators, especially population versus live births, carries significant weight. Describing case-report characteristics without treating them as rates shows statistical care. Accurate transcription of figures is essential. Notes under tables that explain sources and inclusion rules aid the reader. A section on what the profile does not report demonstrates restraint. Clear tables and APA citations for each data source complete the expectations for this assignment.
HLTH 6362 Week 3 help: mistakes that cost marks
Profiles are often returned because figures from different years or systems sit in one table as if comparable. Another common problem is presenting the share of cases in a group as if it were that group's risk. Some students also drop denominators, writing "482 cases" when the source reported a rate per 100,000 live births. To build a stronger profile, list each figure with its system, year, geography and denominator before writing. Put different years in different tables. Check whether category counts sum to totals. Describe case characteristics as shares of cases. End with what your sources cannot tell you. If you need a population profile from real surveillance data, our writers can assemble one for your state or county.
Get a HLTH 6362 Week 3 example written to your instructions
This runs on the Week 3 instructions plus whatever rubric your classroom posted, first custom sample free, back inside 24-48h. Prompts fixing a geography or naming the surveillance sources to use produce an example built on those. Every figure in it is attributed to a published source, and none is invented to fill a table or to make a paragraph land harder.
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HLTH 6362 Week 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HLTH 6362 Week 3 sample paper?
This page contains a complete Week 3 population profile of syphilis among South Dakota women of reproductive age, with three tables and three references.
What was South Dakota's congenital syphilis rate in 2023?
482.1 per 100,000 live births from 54 cases, the highest of any state, against a national rate of 105.8.
How high was syphilis among South Dakota women aged 15 to 44?
CDC reported 1,046 cases in 2023, a rate of 613.0 per 100,000, compared with 83.3 nationally.
Did syphilis fall in South Dakota in 2024?
Provisional state counts fell from 2023, including a 26% drop in congenital cases to 40, but remained well above the five-year median.
Why is 81% American Indian not described as a rate?
It is the share of reported cases with that characteristic, with no population denominator attached, so it describes who appears in the count rather than risk.