Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Cases Are on the Rise in US

*According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syphilis and congenital syphilis cases are on the rise. 

The CDC’s 2022 STI report states that “more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in the United States.”

“The most alarming concerns center around the syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemics, signaling an urgent need for swift innovation and collaboration from all STI prevention partners,” the agency reported.

Per MadameNoire, “There’s a total of 207,255 cases of syphilis and 3,755 cases of congenital syphilis reported in the United States,” the outlet writes, noting that Black people are the second highest demographic at risk.

Compared with white women, Hispanic and Black women allegedly contract syphilis 2.20 to 6.42 times more frequently.

Here’s more from MadameNoire:

While non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native people have the highest rate of reported cases in 2022, African Americans are the second-highest, with 19.9% of Black women reported having primary and secondary syphilis and 70.9% of Black men contracting it in 2022.

With this rapid growth, health officials are calling for the interference of STI prevention and health services to combat the epidemic. However, the limited access to care for Black communities is a part of the problem. Poverty and the deficiency of insurance and regular care sources are factors that bar Black people from receiving STD and STI care.

We reported last year via CNN that in 2012, 324 congenital syphilis cases were reported to the CDC. In 2021, that number had ballooned to 2,677.

“There are no shortcuts, and we have to meet people where they are. Some people face tremendous barriers to STI prevention and health services,” said Laura Bachmann, the acting director of the CDC’s Division of STDs, per MadameNoire. “So, the most important work is often outside the clinic, whether it be reaching out to communities with testing, interviewing patients to offer services to their partners, or delivering treatment directly to someone.”

Meanwhile, South Dakota has the highest rates of general syphilis, followed by New Mexico.

READ MORE: Rates of Congenital Syphilis Are Skyrocketing in the US. Here’s Why | VIDEO

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