Syphilis cases have skyrocketed in recent years. According to a report prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diagnoses of this sexually transmitted infection (STI) increased by 78.9% between 2018 (113,739) and 2022 (203,500). In the last period examined - from 2021 to 2022 -, they increased by 17%. Data not seen since 1950.
Where much more considerable growth was seen was in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis: in 2018, 1,325 cases were reported and, in 2022, 3,755 cases were registered, which represents an increase of 183.4%. The difference between syphilis and congenital syphilis is that the former is contracted, and the latter is transmitted from the mother to the newborns during pregnancy.
Lack of public financing, one of the causes
The authorities are alarmed by the sharp increase in diagnosed cases. The acting director of the CDC's Division of STI Prevention, Dr. Laura Bachmann, said that "within the STI epidemic, syphilis is one infection that stands alone," which is why "it has emerged as a unique public health challenge." The official added that one of the main factors that caused this increase was the lack of federal funds for the prevention of contagion:
The STI field has reached a tipping point. We have long known that these infections are common, but we have not faced such severe effects of syphilis in decades. Recent public health emergencies diverted program resources and threatened the health of those already disproportionately affected by STIs. We must move now to pick up the pieces.
Another of the main reasons for the increase in diagnoses is the consumption of certain substances such as drugs.
A state that stands out above the rest
In 2022, a period in which the diagnosis barrier exceeded 200,000 cases, there was one state that far stood out from the rest. And not in the number of registrations, but in the rate. In that year, South Dakota experienced 84.3 diagnosed cases per 100,000 residents, according to data published by the CDC, well above second in the ranking (New Mexico: 36 per 100,000 residents). The national average stood at 17.7 cases.
If we look at the number of cases, California was ranked first (7,849 diagnoses), followed by Texas (4,655), Florida (4,618) and New York (3,603). In contrast, the states where the least were registered were Vermont (3), Wyoming (21), North Dakota (64) and New Hampshire (74).
