Fewer Women Are Getting Prenatal Care (and Missing an Important Chance to Prevent Congenital Syphilis)
A new report shows that fewer women are getting prenatal care. That means too many patients are missing the chance to prevent congenital syphilis.
Syphilis Rates in Pregnant Women Continue to Rise
Syphilis rates in pregnant women went up 222% percent between 2016 and 2022 and another 28% between 2022 and 2024. Too many pregnant women are not being screened.
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.
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.
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.
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.
New Studies Add to Evidence that Doxy PEP Works for STI Prevention
New studies add to our evidence that doxy PEP works to prevent bacterial STIs among transgender women and men who have sex with men.
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 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.