Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have risen in the United States. The new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data revealed an alarming increase in the last five years.
Syphilis Cases in the USA
Over 2.5 million cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis were reported in the US in 2022. According to CDC data, syphilis saw the most significant growth, with 203,500 cases reported in 2022-a 79 percent increase over five years.
The number of congenital syphilis cases transmitted from a mother to her child is arguably the most alarming statistic. Congenital syphilis cases have grown by 183.4 percent in the last five years.
"Our nation is facing a rapidly deteriorating public health crisis with real lives at stake," the National Coalition of STD Directors said in a statement commenting on the figures.
Nonetheless, there is positive news -- although the incidence of gonorrhea has increased recently, nationwide cases decreased by 8.7 percent in 2022. The figure is still higher than the recorded number for 2019.
The National Coalition of STD Directors warned that sexually transmitted diseases, especially syphilis, will continue to spiral out of control until the administration and Congress provide communities the funding they need to provide the most basic screening, treatment, and prevention services.
"The newly announced federal syphilis task force and the limited import of Extencilline [syphilis medication] are steps in the right direction, but the nation needs a response that fully meets the moment," the National Coalition of STD Directors added.
What Is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STD) brought on by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. If syphilis is not treated appropriately, it can have significant health consequences.
After hitting a record low in 2000 and 2001, the number of syphilis case reports has been rising ever since. In 2021, 176,713 new cases of syphilis (all stages) were reported. Syphilis severely affects gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) individuals. They make up 36% of all cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in the STD Surveillance Report for 2021.
Additionally, they represent 47% of all cases of P&S in men. Congenital syphilis remains an issue in the United States, but case rates among heterosexual men and women have increased recently.
Congenital syphilis is the result of a pregnant person infecting their unborn child with syphilis. Congenital syphilis cases exceeded 2,800, according to final 2021 data.
Direct contact with a syphilitic sore, sometimes referred to as a chancre, is how syphilis is transmitted from person to person. The penis, vagina, anus, rectum, lips, and mouth can all have chancres in, on, or around them. During oral, anal, or vaginal sex, syphilis can spread—individuals who are pregnant and have syphilis have the potential to infect their unborn kids as well.
The typical interval between contracting syphilis and experiencing the first symptoms is 21 days. But it can vary from ten to ninety days.
The most common signs of syphilis in the primary stage are multiple sores that are sometimes firm, round, and painless. The chances are difficult to notice as they may appear in the anus or vagina.
The second stage of symptoms is characterized by skin rashes and mucous membrane lesions, which include sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus. This phase usually commences with a rash on one or more body parts.
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