Syphilis Rates Surging in Newborns
Cases of infants born with syphilis have soared in recent years. New CDC data reveal that more than 3,700 babies were born with syphilis in 2022—more than 10 times the number born in 2012.
Survey Says: Americans Have Misconceptions About STIs
How are STIs transmitted? When should someone be tested? A national survey from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many in the U.S. struggle when answering those questions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their annual surveillance report on STIs earlier this year and the numbers are sobering: 1.6 million cases of chlamydia and nearly 650,000 cases of gonorrhea. The report also documented more than 207,000 cases of syphilis, an 80% increase since 2018; in the same interval rates of congenital syphilis (when the infection is passed to a fetus during pregnancy) jumped a staggering 183%.
There’s no simple answer to explain these numbers, but lack of awareness about how STIs are transmitted (and prevented) surely contributes. The Ohio State researchers surveyed 1,005 adults in the U.S. and found:
- 34% thought STIs can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse. The reality is that other types of behaviors – including kissing, childbirth, and sharing needles – can also transmit STIs.
- 20% believed STI testing is only necessary when a person is experiencing signs or symptoms. With many STIs, symptoms can be mild or absent altogether and can also mimic those of other common conditions (many people who’ve contacted ASHA over the years following an STI diagnosis, for example, say they thought they were experiencing symptoms from a yeast infection or an allergic reaction).
To explore these topics, ASHA spoke with Abigail Norris Turner, PhD, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and professor with the Ohio State University College of Public Health. Dr. Turner says the sharp uptick in syphilis infections is driven by many factors, including people’s perception of their risk: “Some people are surprised to learn that syphilis continues to circulate today – they associate it with a bygone era.”
She says current guidelines call for syphilis testing of all pregnant people at the first prenatal visit, but it wasn’t always that way: “For decades, screening guidelines varied by state. Providers used their clinical judgement to determine who needed a syphilis test during pregnancy. That led to missed opportunities for testing and thus also missed opportunities to avert congenital syphilis cases.”
Dr. Turner says stigma plays a role, too. “Most people don’t want to talk about their STI risk, and many are not open to messages encouraging them to get tested for STIs, even when they are symptomatic. If they do get a test and it comes back positive, it can be very hard to tell recent partners. Some people choose not to let their past partners know of their potential infection because of the stigma of having, and possibly transmitting, an STI. Stigma contributes to ongoing cycles of transmission and are part of the increased STI rates we see today.”
Shrinking budgets make it even more challenging to combat the current surge in STIs. “Reduced funding makes it harder for public health programs to get their messages of testing and treatment out to the community. Those messages were especially hard to deliver during COVID. Post-pandemic, people have largely returned to their pre-pandemic sexual lives, but the underlying prevalence of many STIs is higher now than in 2020. It’s critical that public health programs have the resources they need to continue testing and treating these infections.”
More to Explore
Understanding Syphilis and How to Prevent It
Syphilis can be treated more easily if it is caught early. But undiagnosed and untreated syphilis can be dangerous. It can cause irreversible health damage and even death.
Syphilis and Pregnancy — Preventing Congenital Syphilis
The number of babies born with syphilis in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate. There were over 10 times as many babies born with syphilis in 2022 than in 2012.
Understanding the Social Factors Associated with Congenital Syphilis
Public health experts have said that every case of congenital syphilis is a failure of STI screening and prenatal care. A new study looked more closely at cases to see what factors in a pregnant person’s life were most associated with congenital syphilis.
New Guidelines on Syphilis Testing in Pregnancy
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines recommending that all pregnant people be screened for syphilis three times during pregnancy.
FDA Approves First At-Home Syphilis Test
The FDA recently approved an at-home test for syphilis that can provide initial results in just 15-minutes. Syphilis has been surging in recent years with the number of cases rising 80% between 2018 and 2022 alone.
Tribal Leaders Want Syphilis to Be Declared a Public Health Emergency
According to the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center, syphilis rates among Native Americans in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South rose 1,865% from 2020 to 2022.
Universal Screening for Syphilis in Emergency Departments Can Catch Infections that Would Otherwise Be Missed
A new study found that opt-out screenings for all patients in emergency departments caught numerous cases of syphilis and HIV that would have gone undetected under other screening protocols.