A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes a concerning increase in syphilis cases in the US. A startling total of over 207,000 cases was reached in 2022, a nearly 80% increase from 2018. With 937% more cases of congenital syphilis reported in the last ten years, this concerning trend affects people of all ages and geographical locations, including newborns.
The public health announcement’s first line emphasizes how serious the situation is and calls for quick action.
“Yet again,” the CDC website reads, “more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States.”
As per the report, “the most alarming concerns center around the syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemics, signaling an urgent need for swift innovation and collaboration from all STI prevention partners. In addition to the syphilis epidemic worsening, reported gonorrhea cases declined for the first time in at least a decade, while reported chlamydia cases were level.”
The CDC’s final 2022 case count comes amid warnings from health officials that funding reductions and shortages of essential treatments could make the 2023 case count for STDs worse.
“CDC will continue to examine this finding closely and look to 2023 data for better understanding, but recognize this finding may be a cause for an even closer look at public health efforts and redoubled prevention strategies. As STI services and related resources continue to rebound from the US COVID-19 pandemic and mpox outbreak, we must act now to mobilize and execute a whole-of-nation approach if we hope to turn the tide,” the public health officials said in the statement.
