This Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of STD Prevention said in an X post that syphilis rates are increasing in the nation.
This post came just a day after U.S. News & World Report published a ranking of states with the highest sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates.
Louisiana ranked second, behind Mississippi.
Here’s the full top 10 list:
1. Mississippi – 1,266 STD cases per 100,000 people
2. Louisiana – 1,159.9 STD cases per 100,000 people
3. Alaska – 1,091.2 STD cases per 100,000 people
4. South Carolina – 1,052 STD cases per 100,000 people
5. South Dakota – 1,009.1 STD cases per 100,000 people
6. Alabama – 989.6 STD cases per 100,000 people
7. Georgia – 987.5 STD cases per 100,000 people
8. Arkansas – 942.4 STD cases per 100,000 people
9. New Mexico – 925.9 STD cases per 100,000 people
10. North Carolina – 922.2 STD cases per 100,000 people
According to U.S. News & World Report, “rates and cases of major sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. have been increasing largely unabated, with more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea reported in 2021.”
That’s the year with the most recent data from the CDC. During that year, there were nearly 263 STD cases reported per 100,000 people, up 6% compared to 2020. Syphilis case rates rose by 32% during that time. Though rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea did not increase as much, they still rose by 4% and 5% respectively.
“Officials have expressed particular concern about a rise in congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes a syphilis infection to her baby while pregnant and can result in the infant’s death,” said the U.S. News & World Report. “The rate of congenital syphilis cases rose by nearly 30% between 2020 and 2021, while the nearly 3,000 cases of the disease in 2021 marked a more than 750% increase since 2012.”
Syphilis is spread through sexual contact with sores caused by the bacterial infection. Painless sores are the first sign of an infection, followed by skin rashes, as well as other symptoms such as fever, patchy hair loss, swollen lymph glands, a sore throat, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches and fatigue. After those symptoms go away syphilis can go into a latent stage.
From there, it can eventually develop into tertiary syphilis, a serious condition that can impact the heart, blood vessels, brain and nervous system.
In addition to posting about the increasing rates pf syphilis this week, the CDC also offered guidance for medical professionals.
“The troubling reality is that when not adequately treated, syphilis can lead to visual impairment, hearing loss, stroke, and other neurological problems,” said the CDC. “Syphilis infection can also increase a person’s risk for getting HIV or giving it to others. As a provider, you need to be aware that all 50 states require that syphilis cases be reported to the state or local public health agency so that it can take action to find and treat exposed persons.”