In recent decades, the U.S. has been well on its way to eradicating syphilis. Now, a recent spike in cases of the infectious disease is slowing these efforts.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people with syphilis has increased from fewer than 5,900 in 2000, to more than 207,000 in 2022.
The crisis is especially prevalent among pregnant people and babies, with a recent CDC report describing the rates of infection among pregnant people rising from 87 per 100,000 births in 2016 to 280 per 100,000 births in 2022. Moreover, 3,761 babies were born with syphilis in 2022, approximately 11 times more than a decade ago.
Experts state a variety of possible reasons behind this sudden rise in cases, with increases in substance abuse and high-risk sexual behavior being two of the many potential contributors. The CDC also reported that racial and ethnic minorities were disproportionately affected, citing long standing social inequities such as access to sexual healthcare.
Laura Bachmann, the acting director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, claimed this stigma around STIs “buries the truth that all people deserve quality sexual health care” in an interview with NPR.
Some researchers are concerned that the stigma is keeping people from getting tested for syphilis. In an interview with Science News, Allison Agwu, an infectious disease researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said, “If you have been sexually active ever, you should have a syphilis test.”
To start, Agwu emphasized the need to make syphilis testing more accessible. “Instead of having someone prove that they need to have additional testing, how about we just test people — instead of creating a stigma around, well do you need to get tested again,” she said.
Other researchers are looking for hope in new inventions. Jonathan Mermin, the director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, is looking forward to the release of “innovative prevention tools — such as a pill after sex that prevents STIs, and better tests for syphilis.”
Along with stigma and social barriers increasing syphilis’ prevalence, drug stocks for treating the infection have been insufficient. In June 2023, Pfizer announced a shortage of Bicillin, a penicillin antibiotic used in syphilis treatment.
Given all of the possible ramifications of the infection, such as heart and brain damage, and even paralysis, it is imperative to reverse the current course of syphilis rate increases.
