- The CDC reports that nearly 25% of syphilis cases in the US were diagnosed in women in 2022, representing a significant increase from previous years.
- The number of syphilis cases reported in women increased by 19.5% in 2022, accounting for approximately one-fourth of all cases nationwide.
- While syphilis cases continue to rise, there is cautious optimism about the decline in gonorrhea rates. However, health officials warn that funding cuts and shortages of essential treatments could worsen the situation in 2023.
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Nearly 25% of syphilis cases in the United States were diagnosed in women in 2022, signaling that the country’s epidemic of the sexually transmitted infection is spreading more among heterosexual couples, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of syphilis cases reported in women increased by 19.5% in 2022, with 14,652 cases reported, accounting for approximately one-fourth of all cases nationwide. In 2018, only 14% of syphilis cases were reported in women. Men who have sex with men continue to represent a disproportionately large share of syphilis cases, the CDC noted.
Health officials have been warning of the worsening syphilis epidemic in the country for years, and the CDC’s final figures for 2022 show the highest number of cases reported nationwide since the 1950s. Syphilis cases had previously declined substantially after the introduction of penicillin, reaching their peak in the 1990s before a decline correlated with changes in sexual behavior due to the HIV epidemic. Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, emphasized the need for robust public health systems and tailored prevention strategies to curb syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Syphilis rates have been increasing every year since 2011, with higher rates among Black and American Indian populations. Mermin underscored the importance of improving diagnosis and treatment efforts and addressing factors such as substance abuse to halt the epidemic.
Syphilis is caused by the bacteria T. pallidum, and its symptoms usually begin with a painless ulcer. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to severe complications, including neurosyphilis, which affects the brain and nervous system. Rates of congenital syphilis, which occurs when the infection is transmitted to babies during pregnancy, have also been rising in recent years, with over 102 cases reported per 100,000 births in 2022 across the country.
In contrast to some other STIs, such as chlamydia, which remained relatively stable, and gonorrhea, which saw an 8.7% decrease in rates in 2022, syphilis cases continue to increase. However, health officials are cautiously optimistic about the downward trend in gonorrhea cases and will closely monitor 2023’s figures to assess whether the decline continues.
The CDC’s final tally for 2022 comes at a time when health officials warn that sexually transmitted infection rates in 2023 could be worse due to funding cuts and shortages of essential treatments. The National Coalition of STD Directors expressed concern over the deteriorating public health crisis and called for increased funding to address the situation. The group highlighted the shortage of Pfizer’s Bicillin L-A, the recommended treatment for pregnant women and their babies, to combat congenital syphilis. The CDC attributed a significant number of recent congenital syphilis cases to gaps and delays in testing and treatment. To address the shortage, the FDA approved temporary imports of the drug from Europe. Additionally, hundreds of federally-funded public health workers tasked with addressing sexually transmitted infections have been laid off, which further exacerbates the situation. The Department of Health and Human Services has announced the mobilization of a new task force to respond to the syphilis resurgence, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has expressed the administration’s commitment to addressing the crisis and eliminating disparities in healthcare.