SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Spokane County health officials are working to raise awareness and promote testing after finding a 50% increase in syphilis cases, with one in three people going untreated.
“Stigma plays a role in folks feeling comfortable going to see the doctor,” said Kirsten Duncan, the lead disease intervention specialist at the Spokane Regional Health District’s STI/HIV prevention program.
County officials say syphilis has been on the rise since 2015. In 2022, the county reported 23 cases per 100,000 residents, and in 2023, confirmed cases increased by 50%…