Syphilis. Everyone has heard of it at some point in their lives, and unfortunately some of you may have had experiences with it personally (or heard of a friend who’s had it). It has made the news the last few months, especially since it has been on the rise and has become an epidemic in the United States.
Primary and Secondary Syphilis — Rates of Reported Cases by Jurisdiction, United States and Territories, 2013 and 2022.
***Note that rates are per 100,000. Data and image sourced from CDC.1
Just looking at the image above should worry all of us; after all no one wants to get a sexually transmitted disease. What’s worse is that there has been a shortage of medication meant to treat it for both children and adults. Yeah, you read that right. Congenital syphilis, which is syphilis passed from an infected mother to their infants during birth, has risen as well. In fact, from 2013 to 2022, rates rose by as much as 937.3%1! (that’s not a typo).
Congenital Syphilis — Reported Cases by Year of Birth and Rates of Reported Cases of Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women Aged 15–44 Years, United States, 2013–2022
***Note that rates are per 100,000. Data and image sourced from CDC.1
ACRONYMS: CS = Congenital syphilis; P&S Syphilis = Primary and secondary syphilis
There is also data1 showing that syphilis is affecting some groups far worse than others. Just looking at the trends, African-Americans and American-Indians/Native Alaskans have the highest rates amongst racial/ethnic groups. MSM (men who have sex with men) have also continued to see the highest rates of infections, and now rates among women have unfortunately went up coming in second place (more graphs and charts can be seen here). This, not surprisingly, matches the rise in congenital syphilis rates seen throughout the United States.
So, where do we go from here? There are 3 action items we as a country need to look into:
1. Acknowledging historical precedent for community mistrust in the healthcare system can begin mending strained relationships between providers and patients.
Why this matters: Medical mistrust is a serious barrier to getting people the care that they need.This is especially true for communities of color who have been mistreated by the medical system in the past. Tuskegee, anyone?
2. Improving access to care through financial and structural support can revitalize and sustain efforts already in place to address diseases like syphilis.
Why this matters: Money makes the world go round; this is especially true for public health initiatives. Without financial support from our government, the battle against syphilis will be very difficult.
3. Finally, improving testing rates for young adults, in particular for women, should be a priority for healthcare systems to stem the tide of congenital syphilis affecting vulnerable infants.
Why this matters: One study published in 2016 found that a majority of young adults aged 15-25 never had an STD/STI check up due to various reasons ranging from confidentiality to just not thinking they were at risk. Remember, you never know until you actually get tested yourself.
These steps can hopefully help move our country in the right direction on stopping the syphilis epidemic in its tracks. If nothing else, please do your part and spread awareness about the issue to friends, family or even your coworkers.
Stay safe and use protection fellow Netizens!
NOTE: All of the resources I have used to research this topic are linked here.
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance 2022. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.
Featured Image: NIAID, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s own opinions and statements. They do not reflect the opinions or stances of any organization affiliated with the author.
