As rates of congenital syphilis skyrocket, a severe shortage of the only antibiotic approved to treat syphilis in pregnant women is delaying care for pregnant patients.
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.
Treating syphilis during pregnancy can help both mother and child, but there is a shortage of Bicillin-L-A, the only antibiotic approved for this population.
